What are shoe racks and how to choose them?

An old saying says that the person who carefully looks after the old one will have new shoes every day. At a minimum, you should keep your shoes in order: they should not pile up in the hallway, spoiling the appearance of the room, collecting dust and scratching due to periodic stirring in search of the right pair. A special rack will help to solve the problem with a minimum use of the usable area.

Anyone can easily imagine shoe racks, but the pictures in the head of different people will be different at the mention of this phrase: someone will imagine a modest shelf for a hallway, while someone will think of long rows of shelves in a typical shoe store. Shoe racks today come in a huge variety of options. Nowadays, a shoe rack should be present in literally every home, because each person has several pairs of shoes, and in the evening, when all household members gather at home, you simply cannot do without a place for orderly storage.

Realizing that consumers will buy such furniture, manufacturers are trying to produce various models that would take into account the peculiarities of the stylistic design of the apartment, and could also be selected in accordance with the amount of available free space.

You will not find an official classification of shoe racks anywhere, but with a close examination of the entire range, it will be easy to identify the most common types with certain conspicuous characteristics. Let's start with what a completely typical home (and store) shoe rack looks like. Most often this is a structure with shelves located one above the other. Such a cabinet is usually made open - it has nothing like a door.

This form factor is convenient in that it allows you to evaluate the appearance of shoes from the height of human growth and quickly select the right pair from the available assortment. The insignificant height of such furniture is chosen for the purpose of sitting on it for a more comfortable shoe. Some manufacturers equip the structure with a full-fledged soft seat.

However, do not think that the shoe rack should be strictly the same as described above. Imagine that there is no room in the hallway to accommodate a typical shelving unit, but only a free corner. Naturally, in such a situation it would be reasonable to use it, but then the shoe cabinet will be narrow and high... The shelves will be shorter, but the total number of shelves will increase, and the capacity will only benefit from this.

True, you can't sit on a high bedside table, but you have to sacrifice something. By the way, a shoe rack, in principle, does not have to stand on the floor - there are also wall mounted models... They are rarely too large and infrequent, but for an unusual design, such a solution may be ideal.

Actually, the shoe rack will not necessarily be a separate structure, because it can be part of a larger cabinet. In many cases, it is a pull-out bottom drawer that allows quick access to the shoe at any time. At the same time, it takes up less space and hides property from dust and prying eyes in a closed storage.In fashionable modern furniture models, designers sometimes abandon the primitive concept of a drawer, preferring a folding and folding design with beveled shelves.

In fact, the consumer is far away it is not always worth chasing the originality of hallway furniturebecause in many cases manufacturers deliberately target such buyers. For example, the word "transformer" is present in the names of many models, but in the original it means the ability of a product to perform the functions of 2 different pieces of furniture, and in the store, it is often called any rack with more ingenious shelves than in the most primitive version.

Modern shoe racks are made from various materials, which allows you to solve the issue of the taste of each individual person, fit the product into the interior of a certain style, choose a model that is cheaper or more reliable. Consider the main types of raw materials used.

Wood is the most popular material for cabinets and shelves, and no plastic compares to it. Wooden home furnishings are consistently popular as they are of natural origin. (with certain reservations) and creates the impression of home comfort, and in the best examples it will also serve for decades.

In fact, wooden shoe racks must be chosen carefully. Most of the models on the market are made of chipboard. These are chips glued with the help of chemicals, which cost a penny, but are neither environmentally friendly nor reliable. In all respects, except for the price, MDF looks better - also shavings, only not glued, but pressed at a high temperature. Finally, shelving from array Is an example of luxury and chic, safety and aesthetics, durability and strength, and its only drawback is perhaps the price.

A metal rack is most often chosen by a person for whom the most important thing is the long service life of the product and its high strength, which is very important in families with children. The metal does not absorb pollution, is not interesting to mold and various pests, it is very durable and completely environmentally friendly. In a painted form, the material is aesthetic and can fit into any interior, while metal furniture is not expensive. It is difficult to find any disadvantages of such a solution.

Although metal often seems too cheap and banal to modern people, in fact, it can fit into even the most expensive and sophisticated design styles. So, forged shelving will look bright and stylish. If desired, it can even be passed off as a family heirloom.

Absolutely everyone knows about the reasons for the massive distribution of plastic things around the world: the material has a very impressive durability, and also, being synthetic, it does not lend itself to any pests and does not absorb water and dirt at all. Wherein plastic can imitate any other material, and it can also be painted in bright colors. The cost of plastic furniture usually does not go off scale either.

At the same time, plastic is characterized by the same subtlety as wood. It can be very different in quality and, accordingly, in price. For example, Chinese consumer goods can be incredibly cheap, but you shouldn't pay attention to it - the structure will be flimsy, and the material itself can easily turn out to be toxic.

In this case, you need to understand that there will not be a completely fabric rack - it is more correct to say that it has some kind of rigid frame with solid shelves, which, in order to reduce the cost and weight, is covered with fabric from the outside instead of a full-fledged case. The advantages, respectively, will be extremely low weight, allowing you to carry the product with you on trips, as well as impressive low cost. Someone may be impressed by the unusual design of such furniture.

The disadvantages, however, are also obvious: the service life of such a shoe rack is strictly limited by the service life of the fabric. In theory, of course, the fabric cover can be replaced, but tailoring it to order can cost more than a new rack. In most cases, fabric models are regarded only as temporary or intended only for use in the country, and there is no point in spending a lot of money due to irregular use.

When deciding on the appearance of the shoe rack so that it fits into the interior of the home, be sure to pay attention to general recommendations regarding the stylistic characteristics of all design details. For example, classical styles always suggest an emphasis, if not on wealth, then at least on solidity. In the old days, there was no Chinese consumer goods, and many products were made, albeit roughly, but for centuries. Wealthy citizens could afford a touch of sophistication, so baroque and rococo pieces are furniture decorated with rich carvings.

Various rustic styles suggest a more pronounced simplicity, but require solidity. Classic in every sense implies the rejection of modern materials, so wood and metal will be the main ones.

Modern styles in general place more emphasis on practicality rather than emphasized aesthetics. Aesthetics of minimalism lies in the beauty of straight lines, so complex carved patterns will be inappropriate. The freest modern style should be considered loft, which supposedly involves the independent production of furniture, but then it must be emphasized that the shoe rack was made from improvised and not too well-processed materials. The emphasis on the use of modern plastic, and even glass, is fundamental - cozy wood in an ultra-modern design is not very appropriate.

When going to the store for furniture, many potential buyers naively pay attention to its appearance and ability to fit into the interior, although they are not the primary selection criteria. The most important initial criterion is the ability to fit into the dressing room without taking up too much space. Be sure to measure the space that you are ready to give for the shelving, and already with these numbers go to the store in order to clearly understand that a particular model is too large and simply will not fit or will create problems.

Ask a practical question: how many pairs of shoes do you need a new outfit to store. Ideally, all household shoes should fit on the shelves, and there should be room for guest shoes. Check out interesting models to see if bulky winter boots and high-heeled shoes will fit.