Ditch Entryway Clutter With A Hanging Storage Solution From IKEA

The entryway to your home has a number of important of roles to fill. As the place that you come and leave from, it needs to be functional and organized in a logistical sense, but it also needs to have a degree of stylistic appeal to make it welcoming. If you're tired of your entryway being a cluttered zone, it might be time to investigate solutions to maximize the space. One such option is the IKEA KALLSÖ Hat rack that could help you say goodbye to the eyesore of entryway clutter.

Retailing for $69.99, the KALLSÖ might initially seem pricey for a hat rack; upon closer inspection, however, you'll see that it handles a number of tasks in one compact package. The hat rack is made from solid pine and features both a coat rack to suspend clothing that is on hangers and three double hooks that can be used to hang hats, bags or other accessories. The top shelf is also an amply sized surface that can contain other gear or accessories you commonly need when entering or exiting your home. The piece measures 12 ⅝ inches deep, 9 ⅜ inches high, and 31 ½ inches wide. 

The KALLSÖ had a 4.6-star average rating based on nearly 30 reviews. Overall, customers seem to appreciate the rack's appearance as well as its performance, although there is mixed feedback on the installation process; one reviewer recommends the use of power tools to assemble the product, and a couple others express a desire that there were included plugs to cover up screw holes. One five-star review from IKEA's website states, "It goes really well in our hallway. Easy to build and looks good."

While the KALLSÖ could be useful in a number of situations, it may best serve homes with tight entryways. It could work in even the smallest studio apartments or homes that are lacking a mudroom entirely. If you don't already have a built-in cubby system or extensive hooks, the KALLSÖ could provide some structure and parameters to house items not in use and prevent inventory sprawl. Consider combining several of the racks together in order to create a sizable drop zone, capable of managing backpacks, jackets, and the like. If you arrange it to work for you, this IKEA entryway hack can help you organize and transform your storage.

If you have children in the home, install a dedicated KALLSÖ for them — at their height, so they can manage their own gear — underneath the adult unit or staggered like steps, space-permitting. Labeling each double hook can provide them with a sense of ownership and keep things where they belong, too. The top shelf surface may serve you better when paired with a compatible bin or basket. The right container will boost visual appeal while keeping visual clutter at bay. One option to consider is the IKEA LABBSAL basket ($27.99), whose dimensions should just fit on the shelf. The basket can then be filled with everything from gloves and scarves in the winter to sandals and baseball caps in the summer. 

As with all wall-mounted IKEA products, the KALLSÖ does not come with hanging hardware; if you're installing it into a portion of drywall, using appropriate anchors will be imperative to the piece's stability. Anchoring it to studs, if possible, will provide you with the most secure hat rack.