Coat rack buying guide

A coat rack is the one decorative objective you really need in your home if you want to say goodbye to clothes and scarves trailing around the house! There are many different models to suit a range of tastes. If you want to make the right choice, you will have to consider the following factors:

• the installation system: free-standing, wall-mounted or hanging;

• the material: metal, wood, plastic;

• the shape: shape of the pegs, shape of the fixing plate;

• the style: classical, industrial or Scandinavian-style, designer, for children;

• the room where it is located: the hall, living room, bedroom or bathroom.

Firstly, it is important to choose the right fixing system for your coat rack based on the available space. If you don't have a lot of space, a free-standing coat rack may not be ideal as it can take up a lot of room: in this case, a fitted or hanging coat rack might work better!

Here are three main types of coat racks according to their installation:

• Free-standing coat racks: ideal for large spaces, it can be a one-piece element or have several heads according to the number of people using it. Choose a wheeled coat rack if you want to move it around easily.

• Wall-hung coat rack: attached via fixing plugs to your wall, a space-saving option.

• Hanging coat racks: also good for saving space, can be hung on a door and prevents you from having to drill holes if you are renting, for example.

It's also important to choose the right material for your coat rack both in terms of style and quality.

• Coat racks made of untreated wood: you can leave the wood untreated or paint or varnish it. As such, it is possible to tailor it to fit in any room, with the exception of the bathroom, where untreated wood is not recommended.

• Varnished or painted wooden coat racks: very hard-wearing and suitable for all rooms.

• Metal coat racks: hard-wearing material, suitable for all rooms (be careful, however, to choose a stainless steel coat rackfor bathrooms to avoid rust). For hanging models, make sure it doesn't scratch the door or use small felt pads to avoid any rubbing.

• A plastic coat rack: a hard-wearing material for a shelf, but much less so for hooks.

Coat racks are certainly useful and practical items, but they can be used as decoration to match the style of your home.

Hooks or pegs come in a wide range of styles (U-shaped hooks, spindles, round pegs, square pegs, flower-shaped pegs, etc.) to help your coat rack blend into the room.

The same goes for the fixing plate used to hold the pegs. These elements also come in many different shapes from traditional rectangles to the most unique forms (zig-zags, for example). The pegs may be fixed onto a plate or installed alone (as in the case of a single hook).

For seamless decoration, choose a coat rack to match the style of your home:

• traditional coat rack: basic design, with one or several pegs, generally made of painted wood;

• industrial-style coat rack: usually featuring a mixture of wood and dark metal;

• Scandinavian-style coat rack: light wood or white for an inviting feel;

• designer coat rack: full of finesse, with modern, designer shapes and curves.

• children's coat rack: colourful, with children's shapes (princesses, dinosaurs, animals, stars etc.).

It is important to choose your coat rack to suit the room in which it will be located.

• a hall coat rack: opt for a coat rack unit. Practical and efficient, these come in the form of a small cupboard with a hanging rail at the top and a small, comfortable bench so you can do up your shoes. Depending on the model, it is possible to have fitted storage boxes too.

• a coat rack in the living room: have fun with the model; whether free-standing or wall-hung, choose the coat rack you like.

• a coat rack in the bedroom: to save on space, opt for a wall-hung or hanging coat rack.

• a coat rack in the bathroom: go for door-hung pegs so you can hang up your bathrobe or towel. It is also possible to find hooks designed for heated towel rails.