Updating with clearer picture of proposed space:

Additional question which I would like answered is how to make this look like a stand-alone piece of furniture.

I would get rid of all hangers and just do hooks in the space. I find no one (except me) would stop to put something on a hanger and coats are always slipping off of them. Where you have the hanging items I'd add drawers - even just the fabric ones that rest inside those cube style shelving units you can get anywhere. We have a tiny New England mudroom shared with 4 hockey players (whose smelly bags remain in the garage lol) and I find we can never have enough hooks! I'll take pics tomorrow if you'd like, but we each have our own drawer for hats and gloves, everything has a home and things don't get mixed together. I'd put things you use less often up high.

We used wood to build a bench in a closet bump out (removed the doors) and I store the shoes underneath in two short but wide baskets. I have a shelf above the bench with baskets for things we don't access often.

kim k - Thank you for weighing in. I think I'll keep the hangers for the right hand space, for 'over flow' storage. I.E. - the coats we don't usually wear and for a party. We do also have a coat closet next to the front door, but who comes in that way....

I'm not crazy about the baskets I show (which might be the same as drawers) - have no idea of what, is where. Regarding shoe storage, my gut feel is that all shoes need to be on the ground; otherwise, I'll be cleaning the storage spaces for them.

Please do post pictures if you can. I would like to see your bench and set-up. Thanks!

I will tomorrow! For what it's worth, I keep our less often worn coats (that are in season and not yet ready for the basement cedar closet) hanging in the coat closet by the front door that nobody uses. When guests come over they use the hooks, and I suspect they would even if I had hangers next to them. I may have a hook addiction though since I put fancy ones from Pier1 in my foyer over a bench just in case guests came in that way - i really want no one opening my closets, ever. lol.

Here's round 2. Kim - I thought about what you said and it makes sense. A lot of what's currently in the space can go elsewhere; i.e., I need to keep the space cleaner. My brother is a timber framer so I have reached out to him about a piece of wood for the bench.

Thoughts on lines, how to improve?

Are you having this built in or is it DIY? I don’t know design but i do know storage. In fact if i spent more time throwing my kids things away rather than finding new ways to store them I’d be better off!
We originally got quotes to have cubbies built into our space. The most cost effective was from a closet company if you go that route. I decided ultimately it was too limiting for us. Meaning we’d do a locker style cubbie for each kid but then where would our other stuff go? I wanted something that could evolve as the kids get older. If we had a bigger space I’d have done built ins in a second.
I like what you drew but where will hats and gloves go? I’d put drawers just under the bench (for your currently in use gloves, hats etc) then leave space on the floor for shoes.

Here’s what we did in the closet bump out. My husband did it and he’s not handy so it’s function over form, but you get the idea! One basket is for my husband and kids to share and the other is just for my shoes :)

Here’s the drawers, each of us has our own:

I find when you hang hooks above a bench you end up not easily
being able to sit on it. So i bought this from ikea. Comes in a larger
size too:

I would think about putting the coats you don't wear on a regular basis and are kept on hangers in the front closet.

I would leave a small area without hooks for sitting.

I would probably put a removable (for cleaning) half depth shelf under the bench for more shoes.

Patricia - Thanks for the help! I'm not showing any cubbies in my round two; instead there will be lots of hooks. We do have a coat closet by the entryway where I can move seasonal / lesser used coats.

With a design like the picture you show, our muddy boots/shoes go on top of the nice wood. I'd rather not bend down for a drawer. The upper cabinets would become space holders for more rolls of plastic before long... the good thing is that I have put enough thought into this to know what I prefer.

The only thing I don't have from my wish list is a counter level surface for temporarily placing items. The bench, especially if a hard surface, should suffice.

kim k - This will be built in by DH. Great point about cleaning up vs. finding new places to store things! I was thinking hats and gloves would simply go on the upper shelf, and possibly a basket or two to store the non-seasonal. I'm not a big basket fan - it goes in and then who knows what's in there! Plus, the bottom of the basket scrapes the wood surface, even when

Drawers would be nice but these will take a fair amount of space below the bench, reducing the space for boots.

I am ALL about function - love your setup, thank you for posting. Very clean and organized - kudos to your DH.

I take your point about sitting back against where coats are hanging. The bench as shown is 17" deep. I went and measured DH's two jackets (on a hook) and they stand out around 12" out. However, with the long bench, I think there will be a fair amount of space to sit. The step stool is a very good idea.

pal - Three excellent points, thank you! I love the shoe shelf idea - keep 'em coming!!

Can't wait to see what you guys come up with! and no one has ever called the space clean so thank you for that lol. I do try and tidy it up if we are having company... but the pics I posted for you are real life. It's shared by 6 people, in New England so we all need to use 3 different types of coats and boots any given week as you well know!!

On DH's suggestion, I extended the header to incorporate the step ladder nook.

Now I'm wondering how it would look with the same space on both sides...

One more:

Had to add a pillow :)