No More Wall Hooks: The Antique Essential For An Organized Entryway

A clutter of coats, backpacks, bags, and umbrellas draped on wall hooks over a messy pile of shoes and boots by the front door may speak to your busy lifestyle, but it also sends the clear signal that things aren't quite in control at your house. An attractive hook in the entryway holding one jacket may be just the thing for a single person with a minimalist approach to life, but it's not the best solution for most households. An organized entryway calls for a solution that includes a permanent spot for day-to-day essentials. That solution, a hall tree, might be at your local antique store or thrift shop.

When you hear the words "hall tree," the first thing that might come to mind is the single pole with hooks that you frequently see in the corner of an office — that's a coat tree. Hall trees are an all-in-one solution to entryway clutter that combines shelves, drawers, a bench, and hooks for coats and backpacks in an attractive, single piece of furniture. Even in homes with front hall closets, a hall tree provides organized entryway storage for the day-to-day stuff that tends to accumulate around an outside door, be it the front or back door. 

Hall trees have been around since the 17th century. They went out of style for a while but are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. If you can't find an antique, there are hundreds of new designs available online and at furniture stores.

A hall tree should be more than a pretty piece of furniture that lives in your entryway. It has to fit your needs, but not all hall trees have the same components. Before you settle on a piece for your entryway, make a plan for all the things you want to keep organized. If they're mainly coats and shoes, you'll need a hall tree with hooks and shelves or cubbies. Kids have their own needs, like a place that they can reach to hang a backpack. Not all hall trees have the mirror you might need for a last glance at yourself before you leave the house, and some don't have a bench to sit on when it's time to change footwear. If the hall tree you've got your eye on doesn't solve your entryway storage woes, you should pass on it.

Function is critical in a hall tree, but form is important, too. If you find an antique that's perfect for sorting out your entryway, or if you've been gifted the one that occupied your great-aunt's entryway for years, you may find you'd like to make a few alterations to make it fit your decor. Changes can be as simple as adding interest with unique throw pillows on the bench that complement the colors in the adjoining rooms or as labor-intensive as staining the piece a different color. 

If you decide to make bold or permanent changes, like painting the entire hall tree or cutting off the legs, you may want to think twice if you discover that your find is valuable. Uncommon antique hall trees in their original condition sell for thousands of dollars.