I love my place, but there have always been 2 things that have really bugged me:

1. Lack of closet space (especially in this entryway)
2. Really small utility closet (which I made worse by buying a nice washer/dryer that is probably too big for it)

I've been racking my brain all day trying to find a solution. Ideally, I'd like to have a closet for my coats than the coat stand you can see in the left corner; I'd also like a bench.

A complicating factor is the water valve access hole (red), which means I can't easily put a closet in that space and figure I probably need about 20-24 inches so I can put a ladder there. Another complicating factor is the power outlet (blue) on the left-side. The whole side of my condo is floor-to-ceiling windows, which means there's no power outlets, so I need to have access to that (I'm also thinking of expanding that outlet to add as many outlets as I safely can).

I figure, to solve the utility closet problem, I could use that corner under the access panel (I just never bothered to put the cover back on because I was going to tackle this problem a long time ago and never did). Problem is, I don't know how I would cover the closet. There wouldn't be a frame for me to attach a door. I thought about a curtain rod, but that would impede the ability to put a ladder there when I need access.

I'm considering going with a custom built-in for the closet and bench. But I'm wondering if there might be better options.