FT NEWS

Bringing the outside in is great – until it’s literal. When dust, mud, leaves and damp are what accompanies all-comers through the front door, your hallway can look a mess in no time. The dirt doesn’t necessarily stop there either, getting tracked through the house in a trice. If cleaning up is getting you down, and the intrusion of the exterior is compromising the interior, take a look at these dirt-busting ideas.

Maximise the mat

There’s no dodging the doormat in the entrance to this home. It’s fitted from wall to built-in cupboard and extends to the end of the storage unit, providing space to wipe feet, remove shoes and put them away all without stepping on to the flooring beyond.

If you’re designing a mat well like this, remember that you need to be able to open the door fully, walk inside and close the door while still standing on it, so be generous in sizing.

Restore the floor
Patterned floor tiles like these don’t readily show dirt, and are easy to sweep, vacuum or wash as necessary, making cleaning up a breeze.

In a Victorian or Edwardian home, tiles like this may lurk under a carpet but if they’re in a state beyond repair, tile suppliers offer authentic designs that’ll bring back original character.

Stash brollies

A dripping umbrella combined with mucky shoes makes for a muddy mess underfoot, so follow this hallway’s lead by teaming an umbrella stand with practical flooring for the entrance. This one’s a curvaceous modern take on a traditional stand and complements the citrus shade of the floor covering.

Catch it all

This hallway boasts a boot tray with a slatted top section to help footwear dry and space below to catch the detritus and keep it from spreading across the floor. You’ll find designs in man-made materials on offer, but wood is a stylish option for the entrance to your home.

Cut down on cleaning

The qualities of the material chosen for a hall floor make a difference to how dirty it gets. In this home, anti-static Marmoleum’s been used, so the floor doesn’t attract dust.

Need to keep the noise down because you live in a flat? This type of flooring is quiet underfoot. It might also be a hit with pets as it feels warm and comfortable.

Roll out

A long runner is a dirt-stopping solution in this home, and it’s in a shade that tones with the floor beneath. Repeating the strategy? Choose from runners specially designed to keep your home cleaner and which have rubber backing to stop slippage, or add a non-slip underlay to an ordinary runner.

Rely on a rug

A boldly striped rug does double duty in this hallway, catching mess before it gets further and scoring style points to boot.

Not all rugs are suitable for this job. Only those that can cope with what suppliers call heavy traffic should be used in a hallway or they’ll suffer the consequences. Consider also indoor-outdoor rugs. Designed to go on patios and decks, they won’t be affected by wet and mud and come in patterned as well as plain finishes.

Make a shoes-off policy

This neat bench storage visually signals that stepping in the front door means removing shoes right away. After all, what’s easy to do is more likely to get done.

Alternatively, be inspired by another shoes-off-now solution. This under-stairs design is easy to access and has nooks suitable for everything