Coat Hooks

A coat hook consists of a plate which is used to fix it to a wall surface, and has a long upward angular piece of metal or wood. They are probably not so common in newer houses now, where people tend to throw their coats over chairs, or to have a cupboard for that specific purpose by the door. However, most old houses had either coat hooks or coat racks, which were also used for hat stands. Gentlemen could put their top hat on the stand, and also their heavy winter coat, before sitting down to a pipe by the fire, a leg of mutton for dinner, and reading the paper with a monocle!

More about the coat hooks:

There are hundreds of different types of coat hooks available nowadays. The traditional coat hooks were made of cast iron or solid brass, and very often had an ornate or decorative surface. Coat hooks are actually one of the most popular items of antique hardware to acquire, as they are quite self-explanatory and easy to mount - and so provide instant gratification to homeowners. Today, the most often used type are individual coat hooks fixed on to a rectangular-shaped piece of metal or wood. There is usually 5-7 hooks in this type of arrangement , which is easily enough to hang the outdoor coats of an average family. In the 18th and 19th centuries, coat hooks were usually larger and more decorative – the larger hooks made it easier to take care of the more delicate hand woven or made fabrics. They were more decorative, simply because style has moved towards the sleek and minimalist look. However, this will make your home stand out even more for it’s antique authenticity. We also have more clothes than people of the last few centuries generally did. It would be a little more authentic to have fewer hooks at the door, but also much more convenient to have more hooks – so you decide!

A piece of advice:

 

A man had a coat hook fixed inside his under stairs cupboard. He would hang his coat on a hook every night, without looking. Later an electric bare bulb was fitted to the wall, unfortunately too close to the hook. A light switch was wall mounted in the hallway outside the cupboard, for convenience, and one of his guests unwittingly switched it on because they thought it was the hall light, so it caused a fire. All the people in the house were blissfully unaware of the danger until smoke began to drift through the house. The damage was small, but could have been much worse if people had gone to bed without knowing. This situation could occur in entryways as well, where you take off your coat and turn on the light at the same time. So remember, never fix your coat hook too close to your lights!