Cat Deeley's clever storage bench marries style and functionality – and it's perfect for small spaces

Cat Deeley, famed for presenting So You Think You Can Dance and This Morning has long been on our watchlist given her exquisite taste. Well, it turns out her eye for style also extends to interiors, as we caught a glimpse of her sleek, clever storage bench in a recent post.

The presenter took to Instagram to share a throwback snap, stunning in a satin magenta dress. However, as the interior fanatics we are, we couldn't help but dart a keen eye on her bench seating which we think makes for the perfect storage idea for a living room or as a way to organise a hallway.

She uses the area to store her sizeable vinyl collection, but the versatile cubbies make the storage bench extremely versatile in more ways than one. If you want practicality without sacrificing minimalism when furnishing a small space, opting for a similar solution as Cat has is easily the way forward.

'Cat Deeley's creative approach to combining style and storage is a great inspiration for anyone seeking to make the most of their available space, particularly in smaller spaces where every square foot counts,' begins Vlatka Lake, storage expert at Space Station – and we agree.

When it comes to smaller rooms – like a small living room, for example – the goal is to maximise storage without closing in on the already little space you have. This is because they 'tend to be oversized and therefore clutter and overpower the space', explains Jonathon Clark, creative director at Shelved.

As a result, Jonathon stresses that the demand for more practical and innovative storage solutions is higher than ever before.

This is exactly what makes storage benches such effective assets for making the most of even the smallest of corners: they serve as both comfortable seating as well as a discreet storage solution.

Interior designer and founder of AMC Design, Ann Marie Cousins adds, 'As well as being a style feature, you don't need to allow extra space for chairs to pull back, so it's a great space-saver if you've got a tight corner.'

Ann Marie Cousins

Ann Marie Cousins is an SBID-accredited interior designer and founder of the award-winning Yorkshire-based interior design studio AMC Design, which aims to bring a home to life by blending function and eye-catching design. They specialise in mixing colour, pattern and texture with effective and efficient use of space to transform houses into homes that truly reflect the people living there.

The design of Cat Deeley's storage bench sports open cubby holes which allow for access to her vinyl collection, however, storage benches come in various designs to help you keep a clutter-free home.

Simon Glanville, managing director at A Place for Everything explains that some other popular designs tend to have lift-up lids, making them a great hallway storage idea to hide raincoats, wellies, bags, and more. If you're quite the bookish person, we think they also make for a sweet reading corner.

In some cases, some bench storage solutions aren't even explicitly on the market as 'storage benches' but rather require a bit of DIY magic. One of our favourite IKEA hacks involves placing the cult KALLAX shelf unit on its side, leaving you with a bespoke storage bench. Clever, right?

Shop storage benches

Jonathon concludes, 'A storage bench's space efficiency and ability to control clutter make them valuable additions to the home, offering a versatile placement that maximises space and layout.'

Simon remarks that 'versatility is the key to a clutter-free living space'. Therefore, we imagine that clever space-saving solutions like Cat Deeley's storage bench will only continue to rise in popularity all the more – and we're so here for it.