3. Hooks beat hangers, and height decides who uses them
A coat cupboard with hangers looks tidier in photographs. Hooks win in real houses, because hanging a coat on a hanger takes four actions and hooking it takes one, and the difference is exactly the amount of effort that determines whether a coat reaches the wall or the bannister.
Fit a rail of hooks rather than individual ones, so the spacing is fixed and the load spreads across several fixings. Allow 6 to 8 inches between hooks for coats; closer and jackets bunch and fall. Mount the rail into studs or use proper cavity anchors — a coat rack pulled out of plasterboard takes a chunk of wall with it, and a rail loaded with four winter coats and a backpack carries more weight than people expect.
Height is the detail nobody gets right. Adult hooks go at about 63 to 67 inches, or 160 to 170 cm. Add a second, lower rail at 40 inches or 100 cm for children, and their coats will actually go up. A child who cannot reach the hook is not being difficult; they are being short.
Give each person one hook and label them if the house is busy. Shared hooks accumulate layers until the bottom coat is inaccessible and everyone stops using the rack.
Bags need their own hook, ideally a sturdier one at a lower height, because a school backpack full of books will bend a decorative hook within a term. Keep one hook permanently free for a visitor’s coat.