Bring a Victorian feeling to your house when you build a bench right into your balustrade

Having a stairway near the front door is a standard in many homes. This is a convenient architectural aspect that will allow residents to go right upstairs as soon as they enter the house. Of course, most people want to pause and put down their coat, keys, shoes and bag before they make it further into the space. Rather than fighting this instinct, many homeowners find it a better idea to place an organizational system right at the main entryway so that the area stays clean without creating a mess somewhere else in the house. 

Here at Stair Parts USA, we love to find interesting solutions for this problem that enable homeowners to keep their personal items organized, and the one we've recently encountered will bring a Victorian feeling into your house no matter what era it's actually from. Rather than including a bench in your entryway along with other furniture, some homeowners have decided to build it directly into their stairs. 

There's typically wall space just below the balustrade that is left empty, but it's possible to build a bench into this space, so creating the ideal spot to rest bags and take off shoes just inside the door. Best of all, it makes your staircase fit into this part of the house even more naturally. 

In order to make the bench appear original to the house, it's best to make it span the entire width of the wall. You can then add wainscoting to the wall space above it so that there isn't plain sheetrock anywhere on this wall. You should also extend your box newels so that they reach all the way to the floor. Not only will this add beauty to your entryway, but it will also make it more functional.