Entertaining: Without A Coat Closet

We've never been lucky enough to have had a coat closet. When we do entertain guests, coats and purses usually go straight on our bed. But recently, we got a new duvet cover and didn't want it to be hidden under piles of outerwear. We rounded up a few ideas of where to hang coats and purses when entertaining. Let us know how you handle a similar situation after the jump.

Digging through the Apartment Therapy archives, we uncovered this awesome idea from a reader. When space is scarce, hang coats on the shower rod. That way, coats stay off the bed and it keeps the space uncluttered. This idea is especially great for studio apartments when entertaining.
Try and make extra room in your clothes closet. For one evening, take down a handful of garments from your closet and fold them into your dresser. By clearing space in your closet, coats won't end up hanging out in the living room.
Clear off all of your over-the-door hooks to make room for purses. You could also suggest that guests hang their purses on the handles of your bedroom and closet doors.
If there are one or two chairs in your homes hallway or bedroom, place coats on the chair back and seat. When you're entertaining in a small space, the last thing you want is coats and purses cluttering up prime real estate in the living room.

Comments (22)

Do we have something against hall trees???

I'm perfectly happy having my guests toss their coats and purses on the bed. However, if I felt that strongly that my bedspread was worth showing off, I'd probably shell out a few bucks for this: http://www.containerstore.com/shop/closet/racksWardrobes?productId=10024153

I have a hanger rod that I usually use for hanging clothes while I iron them. It was 15 dollars at walmart and is the same as having a closet just without a door.

http://www.walmart.ca/Canada-HomeDecor.jsp?selection=listingDetails&page=fth&assetId=48879&imageId=67301&departmentId=22&categoryId=298&tabId=6

I bought a rolling clothes rack from a wholesale place that provides display cases and racks for department stores. There's probably a similar outlet in most big cities.

We keep the rack out all the time, but it also comes apart, so you could stash it in a broom closet or under a bed/couch.

In Southern California, how many people really wear heavy coats? The bed's fine, who cares if you can see the bedspread from the living room?

Throwing coats and handbags on the bed is fine except I use a cover over my duvet so I won't get germs from people coats or dirt on my bed.

Has anyone ever actually gone over to someone else's house and hung their coat in the coat closet? Ours is full of our own coats, among other things. People just put their jackets wherever they want- the bench in the entry, the couch, a kitchen chair, whatever. I've never been anywhere where coats had a special place. Maybe that has to do with being in S. Texas, not much coat weather. Or maybe my friends and family and I just aren't as fancy as others.

@acaj08--my previous and my current apartments both have 3-foot wide hallways, so no coat trees for me. I long for a coat closet like you have no idea.

Great idea about hanging stuff on the shower curtain rod--I'll try that next time.

HeyNowTex, in my old apartment, I had a coat closet that my guests would use if it were just two or three people. For large parties, though, it was too small so I'd use my bedroom. I'm originally from San Antonio and my parents have a similar setup--small coat closet for a handful of guests, pile of coats on the bed for larger parties.

I think it's just what you're used to growing up.

I am trying to figure out what i am going to do for a party coming up that i will have 15-20 people in my home and no coat closet. It will be shoes off party since we will need the floor of the living room for some people so sit (on floor pillows) so i will need to store coats, shoes and purses. So far my strategy is to use my hallway. I will put some of the temporary sticky hooks up for coats to hang, I will put rimmed baking trays out for footwear to sit on and people will leave the purses on the bare floor. Bedroom might have been an option for coats and purses except for the shoes thing... I think it will work out very well! i can't wait o hear other ideas for storage though since maybe one of them will work out better.

Unless the party happens to be in your bedroom (and then I would want to think it's a party for two :)), why does it matter if the duvet is covered? We have a few hooks we hung behind the front door, but most guest coats go on our bed or hang on the back of kitchen chairs.

I live in Minnesota, where coats are heavy. I would worry that it would be too much weight for a shower curtain. Those rods are not designed to hold much weight, especially across such a wide span. I can just imagine the whole thing crashing down into the tub. And the cat making a lovely bed out of the mess.

I'd be more concerned about wet or dirty coats being tossed onto a clean bed than not having my new duvet on display.

Solution: Just get a few over-the-door coat racks. Unless it's somehow permanently attached, the shower curtain rod will crash under the weight of so many coats. Plus, some guests might not like the idea of leaving their outerwear in the bathroom.

"I will put rimmed baking trays out for footwear to sit on and people will leave the purses on the bare floor."

I don't think I'd like to set my purse on the floor. I hate it when I have to do that in a restaurant.

Love the idea of baking trays. Maybe shoes could be passed by waiters, like canapes.

I'd probably hire an armed guard for the purse check.

When I lived in a studio apartment, I used my shower curtain rod for a coat closet. It was thick and sturdily screwed into the walls so heavy coats were never a problem.

But now I have a very small, 2 bedroom house - also without a coat closet. For my upcoming holiday party, I think I'll just hang a clothesline in the second bedroom.

I just feel like I have to note that I do not allow my purse to touch the ground normally - but this is in my private CLEAN home. I don't really know where else that many purses could go in my home - I am not about to allow those to go on my bed! There are so many women that toss them everywhere and don't care where they land. i am not about the have the bathroom floor contents on my bed! I don't like coats on my bed for that reason either. I balance my purse in a restaurant with the strap over my knee or between my legs. I will not put it down in public.

The baking trays are just to contain any water and dirt. If you put a cooling rack in they are actually the perfect place to put wet shoes so the air can circulate.

Maybe one should not ever invite anyone over, but instead sit alone, quietly, with a can of Lysol for company. Then one won't have to worry about germy shoes, germy purses and germy coats.

Ok, I admit I just reread this...unless you have a spare bathroom, wouldn't putting all the bathrooms in the bathroom be a little gross since people are going in and out using it?

If you can't stand to have your guests shake out their coats before entering (and/or putting an extra blanket over the bed to catch germs), I'd probably almost go with stringing a clothesline in a hallway...at least they were made to hold weight.

Thank you, Ms. Pea. I never realized coats and purses were considered so filthy. It would never occur to me. Plus, it's the outside of a coat touching the outside of the bedspread. Presumably people are not taking their gross purses and coats and tucking them in between your sheets, nestled up to your pillow. When I entertain, the last thing I think about is weather or not someone's purse is besmirching my sterile bed.

Having a pile of coats on my guest room bed seems so retro. I love it. Back-in-the-day memories of falling asleep next to a pile of coats while my parents partied late into the night. (Probably 10:30 or so!)

i put over the door racks facing the front of the doors and use this as a coat hanger for guests.

I have a coat stand that I usually use for hanging clothes while I iron them. It was 15 dollars at walmart and is the same as having a closet just without a door.