Swedish design on the rack

ShopFront: We think this coat rack-cum-storage unit (officially called a hall hanger) might not be the type of thing you would put in a front hall - maybe it's just a bit too utilitarian - but it would work well in a less public area, perhaps a utility room.

Beautifully simple and well-crafted, it is made by Swedish company Norrgavel and costs €726 at The Blue Door in Naas, a new shop specialising in Scandinavian design.

That price is for the whole set-up but it also comes in a kind of modular system that starts from €343. As you can see, the idea behind it is to help eliminate the clutter attached to outdoor coats, shoes, bags, hats and so on - things that often end up piled onto unseemly wall hooks or coat stands.

The frame is made from solid birch and the batons and pegs from pine. It's available untreated or in a variety of natural paint finishes.

And although it comes flatpacked, the only screws involved are those attaching it to the wall. For those with a DIY phobia, Blue Door owner Eileen Kelly will have it assembled free of charge.

The Blue Door, 21 Poplar Avenue, Naas, Co Kildare. Tel: 045 901573; www.thebluedoor.ie