This Bench Transformed the Dead Space Behind My Living Room Sofa into a Proper Entryway (It’s So Functional!)

Whenever I’m shopping online for furniture for my house, I have to keep both size and storage top of mind. A 1928 Craftsman meets Neo-Colonial home, my space is much larger than my former New York City apartment, but the rooms aren’t grand. 

Don’t get me wrong — the house is cozy, and that’s the way I like it. But the living room layout, in particular, is kind of tricky, since it essentially has two focal points, a fireplace flanked with built-ins and stained glass windows above them and a staircase with nice paneled molding around it. The room also has four different openings to other rooms, so it’s been a challenge fitting pieces in and creating a flow. 

We’ve floated the sofa in the middle of the room, which effectively divides the space into two zones, one for lounging and the other for entering (and passing through to the kitchen and the other adjacent rooms). The area behind the sofa is essentially like an alleyway, but because it’s also an entry, I wanted to decorate it a little bit, just so it wouldn’t feel overlooked or like a design afterthought. 

I brought in a small rug to define the space underfoot, and I immediately knew I needed a bench to center in front of the staircase. But not just any bench would do — it had to be small enough to easily walk around (again, this area is tight) and good-looking. Ideally, it’d have a storage compartment, too, and not be so bulky that it’d eclipse the beauty of the staircase.

I’m happy to report that I found “the one” at Raymour & Flanigan with the Chloe Storage Bench. The thing I love most about this gorgeous bench is that it’s pill-shaped, and the oval form breaks up all the right angles I have going on in the room with my Article Sven Sofa, the cased door openings, and the wall of built-ins flanking the sofa. It’s 48” long, 17” wide, and 18.5” high, which, honestly, is about as big as I would go here — sizeable enough to use it as a place to sit, if needed — but not at all obtrusive. 

The velvet upholstery is a rich shade of olive green, which works well with my overall whole house palette, and it’s easy to keep the piece looking its best with a lint roller. I also like the brass-finished metal legs. They keep the silhouette from feeling too visually heavy or blocky in this spot, which, again, is fairly small. 

Did I mention the hidden storage, which runs the length of the entire bench? I’ve been using this compartment to stash throw blankets for TV watching. Two pretty large, fairly thick blankets can be stashed under the lift-off top, which is great for when company comes over. 

Right now, I’m loving the bench in its current spot. It’s a great place to put grocery totes, packages from the mail, and other odds and ends that are both coming and going from the house. And I can use it for extra seating if I need to, since it’s well-built but not impossible to lift. It pretty much comes assembled so it’s not going to take you forever to unbox and set up, either.

One day, I could see myself using this bench at the foot of a bed or under a gallery wall in my bedroom. And maybe that’s what makes this bench “the one” most. I know it’s a piece I’ll be able to reinvent time after time, thanks to its pretty color, perfect size, and hidden storage function.