Have you thought about your coat closet lately? As you read this, what is the current status of your coat closet? You may even be drawing a blank, so let me remind you what the coat closet is. It’s usually that little closet in or near the foyer or hallway of your main living room. Its purpose is to store larger coats that you can grab on the way out. More importantly, it’s also there to store guests’ coats, jackets, and sweaters when hosting a soiree of any kind.

For me, a small coat closet has the potential to be a real jewelry box. It can be a bit of a surprise and serve as a pick-me-up every time you or a guest open the coat closet in the hall. Since it’s closed, you can go wild with color, texture, and pattern. You have the freedom to deviate from the established design of your home, or stick to the established design and be liberal with many strong design elements in one place. Also, the coat closets are small compared to other rooms in the house, so it doesn’t take much to upgrade.

Here are my guidelines for a spectacular coat closet:

-The coat closet is a label. It is not only for your coats, but for those of the guests when they arrive. This means keeping it away from other household clutter! Leave room for your guests’ things.

-Invest in two dozen quality hangers. Wooden hangers not only look stylish, but are bulky enough to properly hang a heavy coat or jacket. Throw away the plastic. Use the wood. Be sure to leave plenty of empty hangers for your guests. As an added touch, have your monogram or family crest hand-painted on the hangers. If you buy cedar hangers, you don’t need a cedar block.

-For your female guests, provide a safe place for their bags. Have you ever been to a gathering where women place their bags next to a remote chair in the living room or pile them on the guest bed? Don’t make your guests do this. It is awkward for a woman to leave her bag in a random place. In her guest closet, provide hooks or commission custom millwork for the cubbies. Your guests will marvel at your kindness and praise you as a genius. (As a tip for cubbyholes, each one should be big enough for a typical tote bag or handbag. You can even vary the sizes to ensure you have cubbyholes big enough for big and small bags alike.)

-Paint or use a fabulous wallcovering. You can be as “out of place” or as conservative as you like, but finish the walls. Good suggestions are a dark or vivid color, ornate or textured wallcovering, elegant millwork, or a combination of these options (for example, wallcovering on the bottom 3/4 and coordinating paint on the top 1/4 with crown molding). of chair rail where these two finishes meet).

-If you have wall space, consider a pocket door. If your coat closet is beautiful and organized, why not leave the door open? The pocket door allows you to close it when you’re not hosting an event or when you don’t want to see inside.

-Install a flush or semi-flush mount light fixture. Think about how you want the light to turn on. Do you want to pull a chain once you open the door or do you want the light to be on when you open it? You can create a new switch next to the outside of the door, or even think of a motion sensor. Either way, you should be able to see once the door is open.

-If you need the shelf space above the bar, finish the edge of the shelf with a molding. Place large bins or baskets on the shelf for other items, such as hats, gloves, or oversized bags. Or you can remove the shelf if you want.

-Consider replacing the rod with a metal rod in brass, chrome, brushed nickel, or wood grain and stain. Or, paint a standard rod a matching color to match the wallcovering.

Surprise your guests with a beautiful and functional coat closet. For a small investment in time, materials, and labor, you can create a gem of a space with fantastic design and décor features that will receive rave reviews from your guests for years to come.