The Scene

The family catchall: It holds coats, hats, and boots, of course, but also board games, kids' artwork, the wedding china…. "With all the clutter, I was too embarrassed to hang guests' coats in here," Ursula admits.

The Mission

Accommodate the many functions of the space — but manage the chaos.

The Plan

Redistribute. With the kitchen table (a.k.a. Crafts Central) close by, the art makes sense here, but other things don't. The games, for example, go to the kids' rooms, and the dishes are banished to a basement shelf while Mark and Ursula search for just the right china cabinet (and bookcases and…). Outgrown and outdated coats are donated to charity.

Contain. The art finds a home in stacking boxes — no more loose piles cascading onto unsuspecting heads. A short open bin keeps snowy boots and muddy shoes off the floor, while a tall, cylindrical one gets baseball bats, tennis rackets, and the odd golf club out from underfoot.

Set up for quick exits. Hanging storage units make it easy to snatch hats and gloves on the fly as the family heads out the door.

Create a kid zone. To help them access their things with fewer "Mom's!" (and closet dismantlings), assign children the lower compartments of hanging shelves, and suspend an expander bar from the rod to keep their jackets within easy reach.

The Products

Outdoor musts (sunscreen, scarves) are in hanging storage units. Nylon-and-mesh hanging sweater shelves, $19, www.stacksandstacks.com. Hosiery organizer, $18, www.containerstore.com.

An expander bar hung from a section of the closet pole holds kids’ coats where they can reach them (and, just maybe, put them away?). Closet Doubler in wood, $12, www.organize-everything.com.

Tuck odds and ends away in labeled fiberboard boxes or plastic bins. White storage boxes, $13 to $17, www.containerstore.com. Vertical Wrap ’n Craft, $28, www.organize-everything.com.