The first thing I do when I walk in the house is take off my shoes. I needed not only a place to keep shoes organize in the entry area, but I needed a bench (so I can sit for the onoff show situation) that would compliment the decor of the laundry area, since it is the beginning of the kitchen. Also, the dimensions were very specific. Love it. Perfect. As stated in previous reviews, the bench assembly directions are dumb. No holes and out of order. Screw the bench in first.