During the Victorian era, homes were not built with the variety of closets as homes are now frequented with. Therefore, owners had to purchase furniture that served more function than decoration. But because of the popularity of ornate furnishings, some wealthier homes were able to have items that were functional and attractive. The hall tree came about because of this need for storage. It was usually kept in the front or back entrance of the home, whichever received more traffic. It would be fitted with coat hooks, umbrella stands, a compartment for shoes, and sometimes even drawers or pull-out shelves to set keys or purses on.
Our Hall Tree Bench has taken this antique concept and modernized it with a sleek iron construction and simple styling. To make the most use of it, you can even store some stylish baskets in the bottom to hide hallway messes. We particularly like the idea of using a mud tray underneath to keep muddy or wet shoes from tracking in the house.
