BEST IN CLASS
Best in class 1
Winter is here and with it the requirement to find space for all the coats, gloves, scarves, hats and other accoutrements needed to protect your loved ones from the elements.
Relieve the banister post of its heavy lifting duties by streamlining the hall space to everyone’s benefit. Komandor offers a wide range of slick contemporary options in fashionable shades that range from its Orto system, pictured in basic matte white, about €1,700, that will relieve a large hall of coats and accessories. Floor to ceiling, built-in storage with room for school bags, briefcases, sports bags, outdoor shoes, coats, hats and gloves will transform your entrance.
The firm's hinged door unit with open shelving and LED lighting in tonal shades of graphite and grey, from €2,200 depending on internal choices, will find a home for all moving parts and is stocked nationwide as well as its showrooms in Naas, Co Kildare and Galway city. komandor.ie/showroom
Best in class 2
Danish brand Woud is run by Mia and Torben Koed who collaborate with established designers and new talent to create a unique collection of simple, highly functional and covetable pieces.
Tojbox, is a coat rack by Made by Michael that is available in plain oak or smoked oak and uses no screws, nails or glue in its construction. It costs from about €700. The Baenk bench in matching oak by Agata Nowak is similarly priced. Both are available to order through CA Design. Cadesign.ie
Best in class 3
Parentesi was launched this year by French designer Fabrice Berrux, who has also worked with Roche Bobois and set up his own lighting firm Dix Heures Dix. It is a free-standing coat stand created for Italian firm Bonaldo.
It is an upholstered structure that is like a free-standing nook whose soft form will help dial down ambient noise. It is available in five different fabrics, each in a selection of colours as well as an eco-leather option in black, the material the top and rails are also covered in with matt black metal buttons. Prices range from €1,848 to €2,153 depending on fabric choice to order from Lomi Design. lomi.ie
Best in class 4
If you live solo then a valet, in this instance, Valet Number Nine, from the Gentleman’s Valet Company, is one way to show off a particularly nice tailored design. Pictured in walnut, but also available in oak or ash, the helpful hanger can be customised to include a trouser bar, a clip hanger for skirts or trousers, and an umbrella hook, if you want to channel those London city types.
The jacket frame is made to a standard width of 43cm, but this can be changed to 38cm for a smaller fit or 50cm for broad shoulders. The design costs from about €2,080, ex-delivery and is one of a selection of about 10. gentlemansvaletcompany.co.uk
Best in class 5
The Kammerdiener, designed by Linda Krapf, is a beautifully simple piece of engineering that looks like a bar stool when in situ. You can set it against a wall or line up several of them in a row in a hallway or boot room, even allocating one for each member of the household. Another option is to adjoin two to create a towel rack in a large bathroom.
Each stand is made from untreated ash, has rubber anti-slip feet and costs about €185, ex-delivery, from German-based Stadtnomaden and can be ordered with a small discreet vide poche shelf where you can store keys, wallet and coins. stadtnomaden.com/de/
Best in class 6
If space is tight then consider a wall-hung option. Paulig Kulma is a Helsinki-based cafe opened by Paulig, a cool Nordic coffee house chain. Its brand identity by Scandinavian design studio Bond Agency included stylishly simple coat hooks suspended from copper piping, an idea that anyone can implement at home, with the help of a handy builder.
Situated in the heart of the Finnish capital it combines a coffee shop, a roaster and barista institute, and also features flattering and fashionable lighting strips and plywood booths. bond-agency.com
Best in class 7
When living in compact spaces or in a home where the front door opens directly into the living room then this simple Elfa Decor wall-hung set-up, from the Organised Store in Dundrum Town Centre, can accommodate several coats. It has shelves below for outside shoes and inside shoes to change into and upper shelves for keys, fobs and wallets.
Easy-to-lose items like gloves, scarves and hats can live in the drawers when not in use and there's even a hook on the side for a bag or briefcase as well as a mirror for a last-minute check before you face the day. As pictured it costs €849. organisedstore.ie
Best in class 8
If you need an immediate solution and don't want to to have to wrestle with much home assembly then Ikea's Nikkeby clothes rack, is a neat and freestanding device that measures 80cm by 170cm. It comes in grey or red, the latter offering far more cheer than the former. At €50 its handsome good looks are also really affordable. Ikea.com/ie/
