I’m a creative freelancer with the organisational skills of a hungover fresher. You won’t be able to tell I am in creative work if you see me and my Manchester mill flat. It has gorgeous exposed brick, high ceilings, and just enough charm to trick clients on Zoom into thinking I live like an adult. But step into my hallway a few weeks ago, and you’d swear I was running a pop-up trainer stall.
Boots, gym trainers, a random pair of sandals (in Manchester?!), the lot. Every time I opened the door, another pair threatened to trip me up. It wasn’t a vibe.
That’s when I caved and bought a shoe cabinet from DHS. Slim, sturdy, and (importantly) didn’t cost me half a month’s rent. It looked neat, actually matched the flat, and for the first time, my hallway felt like something other than a lost property cupboard.
The Right Shoe Cabinet for Me
So my flat’s hallway is basically a narrow corridor. Even my overburdened coat hanger seems like a bulky addition, even though it is the slimmest thing. If I shoved a bulky shoe cabinet, it would feel like a blocked fire exit. So what I needed was something slim and tall. A storage box design that hugs the wall rather than juts out.
In my research, I found a relatively new brand, DHS, that came to my attention on social media. They had narrow sizes that felt like they’d been designed with renters in mind: enough shoe storage, but not so massive. They looked like they would prevent me from side-shuffle hallway dances.
3 Drawer Slim Shoe Cabinet For Hallway - Tall Shoe Storage | Dream Home Store
Closed doors were the clincher. I didn’t want my trainers on display like an art exhibition. A flip-down door hides the chaos and suddenly the space looks intentional.
The Anti-Tipping Hack
Here’s where it got tricky. Tall cabinets, especially in narrow entryways from DHS, need anti-tipping KITS. The good thing is that the slim shoe storage comes with anti-tipping. Well, safety first and all that. The problem? My landlord’s golden rule: “No nails, no screws, no nothing in the walls.”
Normally, the anti-tipping strap screws into the wall. But I wasn’t about to sacrifice my deposit over a shoe cabinet. So I improvised. Instead of nails, I picked up a roll of 3M car double-sided tape. Not the flimsy stationery stuff — the heavy-duty kind mechanics use to stick parts into cars.
Here’s how I pulled it off:
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I stuck a few strips of tape to the exposed brick wall.
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Attached the anti-tipping bracket of the cabinet onto the tape.
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Pressed it firmly, let it cure, and hoped for the best.
The exposed brick actually worked in my favour; it gave the tape enough grip to hold properly. Now, my cabinet’s anchored without a single hole in the wall. I still do check those anti-tipping devices every so often to make sure they haven’t given up. But so far, no peeling off of walls and no disasters. And best of all: the landlord’s none the wiser.
Life After the Shoe Cabinet
Now, when clients drop by (rare, but it happens), they step into a hallway that doesn’t look like a clearance aisle at Sports Direct. Everything has a place, and I’ve reclaimed a bit of calm. Trainers, boots, and even those Manchester-optimistic sandals are tucked away.
It’s funny how something as simple as a shoe cabinet can shift how a space feels. Instead of starting and ending my day stepping over shoes, I walk in order. The flat feels less like I’m renting someone else’s chaos and more like I’ve actually made it my own.
Now looking back at the Shoe Cabinet Purchase
As a renter, I’ve learnt it’s not about filling a flat with big, flashy furniture. It’s about smart little upgrades that don’t annoy the landlord. This shoe cabinet was exactly that: slim enough for the hallway, neat enough to look like I’ve got it together, and adaptable enough to hack with a bit of double-sided tape.
It’s not Pinterest-perfect, but neither am I. And honestly? For once, my flat’s entryway matches the image my clients already have of me as creative, but not completely chaotic.
Source URL: Jack Williams - Notion