Leaning Coat and Shoe Rack

Today’s post comes to you from the school of Things I Have Learnt Since Having Children. That is to say boys. That is to say, in particular my youngest. Who is well messy. Yes I know, tell you something you don’t know. They are also, and I say this with love, fully paid up members of the College of Can’t Be Arsedness. It doesn’t matter that there’s a wardrobe in the room – putting things in it would involve opening the door. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Apparently. The 15yo stores most things on his beanbag. Then complains he has to sit/lie on the bed. The 13yo hangs everything on the floor. Apart from his tools, which are all beautifully arranged on the pole he has fixed up across the window with neatly spaced hooks for his rulers, drill bits, scissors and so on.

The key to storage is that it has to be easy. By which I mean, think of what you  – a reasonably sane grown up – would regard as easy. Halve it. Take away 25 per cent. Remove a third. Reduce it by 46 and shave it round the edges. That’s about where we’re at.

Now I have one solution which is working reasonably well. I say reasonably well – it has removed a certain amount of stuff from the floor but what is hanging is basically stuff that is never used. THAT COULD GO IN A CUPBOARD. Only we don’t talk about cupboards in this house. Because, in this house, the teenagers have not yet evolved to cupboards. They are still on shelves. And pegs.

For pegs is my first solution. In a small room that has no room for cupboards – or a room for small people who are not yet expected to do their own tidying – fix a row of shaker pegs all the way round. This will do for clothes, kit bags, even pictures. This is easy storage that looks good. When they are older you can still use the pegs with hangers on them. This works on many levels – everything is visible. Nothing is lost. There is no need for yells of: “Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuum, where is my ….. wotsit/thing/whatever.” Because it is there on the peg. Unless it’s on the floor under the peg. Which is a different story.

My children have pegs in their rooms. The 13yo is using his for his skateboard, the coat he never takes to school, the dressing gown he never wears and the towel he never uses. Still, all those bulky things are no longer on the floor. I’m counting that as a win. The 15yo is faring better – five white shirts, three pairs of jeans and a couple of jackets. This is also a win. What is on the beanbag is the stuff that should be in drawer. That is a whole new level of complicated.

So, shaker pegs if you can fix them to the wall. If you can’t, because you live in a rental, or because you too are a secret graduate of the College of Can’t be Arsedness, then this leaning coat and shoe rack is brilliant. Perfect for coats, hats and yes shoes. It will take six pairs of those, which should definitely free up some floor space. It costs £159 from Future and Found.

Now, if your children aren’t ready for this level of organisation, put it in the hall, your own bedroom or anywhere at all if you rent and can’t fix things to walls. And that is today’s storage lesson.