Free Standing Hat Rack

Emily Hilton Interior Design Expert

Emily is a young, talented designer, whose professional interests gravitate towards kitchen and dining spaces. She prides herself on her attention to detail, obsession with functionality, and appreciation for craftsmanship.

Updated 17/04/2021

Here are some items that have a need to make a comeback. The hat rack was a staple in many households in bygone eras but, as men wore less hats to work, seemed to fade into obscurity. Hats are now en vogue, and having an eclectic and functional hat rack in your home can be a useful addition. See collection for all our hat racks.

Buying Guide

Not everybody has a hat rack in their homes, since there may not be the need for one or you might not have the space. In many cases, homes do not possess hat racks because it’s not necessarily an essential and many people don’t see the need for one. However, they can be very useful for storing hats, scarves and even coats. Aside from the usefulness of a free-standing hat rack, they can look extremely stylish in your home. In fact, some people buy a hat rack with the primary objective of making their home look more fashionable. Before you go out shopping, you should think about the most important things to consider.

How tall are free-standing hat racks?

You don’t have to buy a tall hat rack, although they normally stand around 6 feet in height. There are smaller hat racks available, which stand around 3-4 feet and are most suitable if you have children or just don’t want a tall hat rack in your home. Smaller hat racks are, of course, less obvious furniture items in the home, which is ideal if you’re trying to draw attention to a different feature item rather than your hat rack.

How many hats can be stored on a free-standing hat rack?

Unless you’re a huge fan of hats, you are unlikely to have enough hats to hang on a hat rack on your own. Therefore, free standing hat racks are most suitable in an office environment or in homes where there are several people living there. If you want a free standing hat rack but you don’t have many hats to store, you should consider a rack which is tall but only has space at the top for around 5-6 hats. This will give you some space for scarves too, and the hat rack won’t look like it’s half empty all the time.

What are the different uses of a free-standing hat rack?

As well as hanging hats and scarves as we’ve already discussed, you can buy free standing hat racks which have other small storage areas. For example, some hat racks will have a shelf situated just below the very top part. While the top part normally has some hooks and space for hats, the lower shelf can be used for important accessories such as glasses, keys and your phone. It’s an extra space near the door which comes in useful in many different situations.

What style of hat rack should you choose?

This will often come down to personal preferences, although you should also consider the existing furniture and colors which are surrounding the proposed area for the hat rack. If this is an office, you are likely to have minimal furniture and décor, but if the office is furnished in a modern way, you shouldn’t choose a traditional hat rack and expect it to match. While it can work well in some situations, you should aim to keep all designs fairly similar so as to avoid clashes.