Streamlined halls and living spaces

• Here’s your hat (and your keys)

A hat rack in the hall is the handiest place to put jackets, scarves, dog leads, keys and hats. If you’re handy with wood, you could carve a tree limb into a sculptural rack that works equally well as a functional item and decorative feature.

• A hanger rack from scratch

Turn a straightened coat hanger and some clothes pegs into a hanger rack on the back of a cupboard door in your hall. Do the same on the back of a kitchen cupboard door to hold extra tea towels.

1. Measure the door and cut a piece of wire that will leave 5-8cm of space at each end.
2. Mount a screw eye in the centre, then another at each end. Run the hanger wire through the screw eyes and bend both ends around the outer eyes with pliers.
3. Now clip some clothes pegs to the wire and use them to hold gloves, beanies and other small items of clothing.

• Wet shoe catcher

Place a plastic laundry basket just inside the hall or laundry door as a catch all for joggers, gumboots and anything else muddy. (A large wicker basket is more attractive, but plastic is much easier to clean.) And to speed the drying of wet shoes, you can use a baking tray and a wire cake-cooling rack. Place the baking tray near the door, put the rack on top to make a wet shoe catcher that allows for better air circulation — and quicker drying.

• Clear the way

If access to your garage is through the laundry, you don’t want to have to dodge clutter each time you pass through, especially if space is tight. One way to keep the coast clear is to mount two plastic milk crates side-by-side on the wall above the washing machine. Use them to hold your detergent and other laundry supplies, and they’ll not only stay out of the way but will be at hand when you need them.

• Impromptu umbrella holder

If you have an old cylindrical rubbish bin that’s seen its day, think twice about retiring it. A coat of paint or a layer of contact paper will turn it into an umbrella stand for your hall. The real article can often be quite expensive, but you’ll find that your recycled stand works just as well. Note: If the bin is metal, coat the interior with clear varnish to prevent rust.

• Try a little feng shui

According to the principles of the ancient Chinese art of feng shui (pronounced fung schway), placing furniture and objects so that they align with magnetic north will optimise the energy flow, or chi, and make the home environment more harmonious. If you want to give feng shui a try, rearrange your furniture accordingly to see if it makes a difference in your sense of orderliness and wellbeing. Plenty of people swear by it.

• The magazine mountain

You only need two magazine subscriptions to end up with an ever-mounting pile of mags that takes up precious space in your home. To reduce clutter, use a craft knife to slice out the pages you want to keep and save them in a ‘To read’ file. A craft knife will not only give you a cleaner cut but will also do the job much faster than a pair of scissors.

• Mount a CD cabinet in a hallway

Kill two birds with one stone by getting rid of a picture you don’t much like and replacing it with the following organising marvel: a book-case divided into individual squares (one meant to hold 10 or so CDs each). You can buy them from places like IKEA and Howards Storage World. It’s also a perfect way for family members to keep their keys and mobile phones close to hand first thing in the morning, so that early morning panic is avoided.

• Take care with collectibles

The best storage compartments for delicate antiques are polyethylene plastic containers, acid-free cardboard boxes and enamelled metal storage cabinets. But if a lack of space demands that you store collectibles in a wooden cupboard or drawers, take the following measures to try to keep stamps, dolls, textiles and metals (including coins) from being damaged by the acidic vapours that may be given off by unfinished wood or painted wood surfaces:

1. Keep items out of contact with the wood by wrapping them in acid-free tissue paper or pre-washed, unbleached cotton muslin.
2. Seal interiors of wooden boxes with at least two coasts of polyurethane varnish.
3. Whether you collect comics or stamps, give them the right conditions: no excessive light, heat, moisture or dust.

• Double-duty furniture

Your great-grandfather’s old chest being stored in the attic or garage can do more than just gather dust. Topped with a fabric table runner, it could make a coffee table that’s stylish and interesting as well as being a useful storage unit. Pack the chest with extra blankets or sheets, or use it for board games, playing cards and any sports equipment small enough to fit inside.