DIY Hook Board Coat Rack

Once school was in full swing, it became apparent that the first step in our garage catch-all room makeover was creating the hook board coat rack. The entryway was a tornado of book bags, shoes, and coats. All while the actually coat closet in the room remained empty. Since getting my family to open the closet door and hang their things was never going to happen, I decided to take out the door opening step. Not only has it been easier to train the kids to hang their things up, but the hook board is like a really high chair rail and breaks up the expanse of oak on that side of the room.

Making it was really simple. I measured the wall and sent my husband to Home Depot for a cheap pine 1×8′ deck board in that length. Home Depot will cut it to length for you.

I wanted the edges smooth and tapered with a round edge, so I used an orbital sander on the ends. It took me about 10 minutes to sand both ends. I ran the sander down the length of the board as well just to smooth it out. I then watered down some white paint to whitewash the wood. I wanted white in order to brighten up that dark oak wall, but I also wanted the wood grain peek out, hence the watered down wash.

My board was 97 inches, so I used seven hooks. I wanted enough space from the door and the corner, so jackets weren’t getting slammed in the door, or hitting the window. I also wanted enough space between hooks for things to not get too crowded looking. I purchased the tree brand hooks at World Market. They were more expensive than I was expecting, but I think they really make the look of the rack. We used 1 1/4 inch screws for the hooks and then used 3 inch deck screws to mount the board to the studs. We have drywall behind the inch thick wood paneling, so there was a lot of stuff for the screws to get through to reach the studs.

We now have enough coat and backpack space for the six of us, and the style of the hook board goes with the rustic vibe I am trying to cultivate in the room.

I think the next project will be the chalkboard door, since it will be fun for the kids. Then, I will probably start painting the walls and closet. It might be pushed off for a bit since our bathroom really needs a coat of paint too.