Athena Calderone’s coat closet is as chic as you’d imagine – and it includes an IKEA classic to up her organization game

We can always rely on Athena Calderone for some seriously sophisticated design inspiration, and of course, her own home is no exception. Yes, she's a master of effortlessly chic style, but functionality is always at the heart of her interiors too, as a recent glimpse into her coat closet has shown. 

We all know that the best designs pair style with functionality but when it comes to executing this in our own homes, it's an ethos easier said than done. Coat closets are a prime example. We all long to achieve satisfying closet organization that still looks design-worthy, but more often than not, the reality is a tangle of coats and mismatched boots that we gladly hide behind closed doors. 

If you want to take pride in your coat closet (as we all should) then look no further than Athena's own to spark some much-needed motivation. It even includes a budget-friendly piece of furniture that might surprise you... 

(Image credit: Athena Calderone / EyeSwoon)

As Athena is about to move homes, she's been introducing us to one of the only unseen areas of her Brooklyn townhouse recently - the coat closet. Nestled within an arched vestibule that leads into her entryway, the closet is hidden behind two sleek black doors, in line with the minimalist design that runs throughout the rest of her home. 

Typically, if you're lucky enough to have a generous entryway or dedicated mudroom, coats and jackets are hung on the wall while boots and shoes slide under a bench or onto a shoe rack. While this is the ideal setup for busy morning routines making it easy to grab and go, the space can quickly look messy no matter how hard you try to limit the amount of visual clutter. That's why a dedicated coat closet integrated into your design, like this one, is a great investment. 

The two-foot deep oak closet is the perfect place for Athena and her family to store coats, jackets, and shoes as they come through the door. A clothes rail offers ample space to hack jackets and coats, while the shelf above makes a great storage idea for throws, boxes, or special occasion shoes. In keeping with the light wooden interior, Athena's even included a set of oak veneer IKEA MALM drawers for storing hats, gloves, and scarves, proving that even the highest-end interiors can make use of budget-friendly essentials. After all, pairing style and functionality is what IKEA does best. 

So that the family is prepared for New York's unpredictable weather patterns, Athena's installed a set of cubby shelves within the small niche of the closet on the right-hand side which she uses to store winter snow boots. These help to maximize every square inch of space available so that nothing goes to waste - and with space being such a valuable commodity in NYC, utilizing every bit inch of a room really is key.

If you're looking to elevate the look of your entryway storage while also improving functionality in the process, take a leaf out of Athena's book. Investing in suitable storage that's easy to use really will help to make day-to-day life smooth sailing.