Coat Closet Cleanup: Simple & Stylish Solutions

As winter in Chicago continues at full blast, one thing becomes increasingly clear: It takes a lot of coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and boots to keep your family warm.  While some of us are blessed with large, perfectly situated coat closets or mudrooms, most of us have to squeeze a mountain of outdoor gear into a tiny indoor space.  This means getting leaner and meaner when it comes to organizing — and preventing your winter gear from taking on a life of its own.

Yes, you technically have a coat closet, but it leaves something to be desired, something like another 10 square feet.  Still, make the most of what you’ve got with the following tips:

1. Remove all non-winter items from your closet.  Box and store sunglasses, swim gear, sidewalk chalk, and other fun warm weather playthings in the basement, garage, or the top of another, less central closet.  In less time than you think, prepare to welcome some space into your home you didn’t know you had.
2. Clear out winter items that your children have outgrown or that they have not worn for the past two winters.  Then donate them to a local social service organization, like the Anixter Center, that distributes coats to adults and children in need.  Visit ZealousGood.com to find other non-profits that are currently collecting coats.
3. Use the door.  Over-the-door organizers, like those by Simply Stashed, offer a space-saving way of storing keys, gloves, and other winter accessories.
4. Add an extra tier of hanging space with a double-hang closet rod.  Hang kids’ coats on the lower bar for easy access.  When the warm months return and you need the space to store sunscreen and beach towels, you can easily take the extra rod down and store it elsewhere.

Sure, you love your apartment’s chic, modern minimalism.  You just wish it came with a coat closet.  No worries!  Simple and stylish solutions abound:

1. Free-standing wardrobes and armoires are great solutions for conquering coat clutter.  I’ve personally fallen in love with the clean, modern lines and storage capacity of CB2’s a symmetric closet.
2. Locker-style entryway cabinets combine open and closed storage for easy access.  Each section of Pottery Barn’s modular Brady entryway system features hooks, cubbies, and drawers.  Dedicate one section to each member of your family.  Martha Stewart Living offers even more creative ideas for using lockers to store kid clutter.
3. Coat racks and hooks are the quickest and easiest way to hang hefty winter gear.  The Niles double coat rack by Ballard Designs is a sturdy, elegant option that includes shelves at the top and bottom for bins or shoes.  The iconic Eames hang-it-all offers a practical way to add a bit of whimsy to your entryway.
4. Finally, get your children into the habit of putting away their own winter items.  Place hooks and bins low enough for them to reach.

Now sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labors.  When it’s time to bundle up, you know where to go — your stunning new coat closet!

~By Sarah Giller Nelson, Owner, Less is More

Sarah Giller Nelson is a mother of two and the owner of Less is More, a professional organizing services company inspired by a passion for order and beauty.  Less is More specializes in getting busy families organized.