As promised (Previous Post Here), here is our updated entry way. And as usual I am kicking myself for not doing this sooner.  We have tossed around the idea of replacing our wide storage bench with something much narrower for years but we always found a reason not to do it.  The reasons varied from lack of funds to not finding the perfect solution.  While this solution is not perfect, I am currently thrilled with it.

We chose the Ikea Stall Shoe Cabinet and added a Maple top to it.  This simple hack adds a bit of sophistication to the melamine ikea cabinet and compliments our bent wood shelf brackets and maple coat rack (for Theo's coats and bags).

I must confess that I had great intentions to do this project myself but having a six week old and a 3 year old has proven all consuming, so my Dad stepped in to source and cut the maple top for me.  The cabinet holds about 12 pairs of shoes freeing up some space in our larger entry closet for our two small recycle bins that used to reside in the storage bench.  It turns out we weren't really using the storage bench effectively so we don't feel like we lost a lot of storage space and instead gained almost 13" of width in the hallway.

Thirteen inches may seem insignificant but in our small space every inch counts.  Many friends and family have already commented on how much bigger our entry feels.

Sources Added to Second Photo.  (I am working on finding a local source for the bentwood shelving brackets as I receive so many questions about them. Will update soon!)