Christian Werner has taken the same textured language of his larger sideboards and distilled it into something remarkably practical with the Ligne Roset Selvans Hallway Unit with Shoe Storage. It is a bit of a relief to find a piece of hallway furniture that actually looks like a cohesive bit of design rather than a cluttered rack. The grooved dark walnut runs right the way around the piece, meaning those vertical shadows help it feel taller and slimmer than it actually is. It is specifically built for those narrow transition spaces where you need to hide the daily chaos of coats and trainers without making the entrance to your home feel cramped or purely utilitarian.

The internal layout is where the real thought has gone, featuring a dedicated hanging compartment for jackets and a proper section for shoe storage tucked behind those two heavy, grooved doors. Like the rest of the range, the channels in the wood are cut with absolute precision, providing a tactile finish that feels very solid under the hand. The handles are kept thin and out of the way, ensuring that the vertical lines of the walnut are the main event. It feels like a very sturdy bit of kit, constructed to handle the constant opening and closing that comes with a busy household, all while keeping the interior mess completely out of sight.

Living with this unit makes the morning rush feel a little bit more composed, as everything has its place behind a very handsome façade. Most hallway furniture can feel a bit flimsy, but the Selvans has a weighted presence that settles the space the moment you walk through the door. It is the sort of piece that works well because it mimics the architecture of a room rather than just being a box pushed against a wall. Because it manages to fit a coat cupboard and a shoe rack into such a disciplined, textured frame, it turns a functional necessity into a bit of a design statement that genuinely lasts.