Coat rack was never left out of the evolution process and the racks available in furniture stores are no longer the conventional designs. In fact, they appear to be very beautiful and are extremely useful piece of furniture either for home or office use. Yes, they are now a piece of furniture, in fact outstanding figure and not the typical hanger.
The first thing to take into consideration is the room of space you have. The coat stand is usually placed near the entrance way but never should obstruct the door or the traffic flow. If you think there is not enough space for a standing rack then you may want to attach the rack onto the wall near to your main door. Both function the same way and are equally useful but some may prefer the freestanding coat rack as they can be easily moved and will not require drilling the wall.
The new range of rack is not only used for hanging jackets or coats, it is also a convenient tool as an umbrella stand. As the stand is often placed at the entrance area, you will save the mess of the dripping umbrella carried into the house. Or you may need a shelf to hang your bags or mittens. Try to imagine what you need or wish to have when you walk through your front door. A rack to place your purse, coat stand to hang your coats or a shelf to stash your package may be really handy.
If your foyer is spacious enough perhaps you can consider the rack that comes with a bench. It would be really great to store your boots or shoes then the bench is a convenient spot to put them on and tie them. This type of coat rack is especially wonderful as you will not have to worry the muddy shoes might dirty your house. Besides, they can cultivate the habit of storing their shoes appropriately in the rack.
There is a wide array of materials that are used to make these racks, from plastic to wood to metal. You can choose the material that blends with your house decoration. You can even paint them to match the colors in your house hence being one of the dcor items as well.