Hanging out: why hooks are the micro-storage heroes of the home

It’s not just coats, dressing gowns and keys that fall for the effortless storage capacity and minimal presence of a well-placed hook on a wall. With hidden features that other storage options like shelving and cabinets can’t imitate, the humble hook offers a home to many other household necessities, too.

Hooks ask for little-to-no floor space, put barely any additional weight strain on a wall so can be fitted almost anywhere, and can even vertically drop objects from the ceiling. Here are five reasons why hooks are the miniature storage product of choice for objects big and small, from those you can’t leave home without, to the most cumbersome you can’t leave anywhere else.

Whether it’s a home, workplace or commercial premises, entering a warm building from the cold outside inspires the very sudden need to remove one’s clothing. Meaning a visitor’s first action is to search for a suitable hook to place their coat and hat.

Over time, however, the lack of support pointed hooks provide can stretch and damage the material. AK47’s Tac hooks offer a choice of two wider forms to better hang hats and coats on, while the Crazy Head hook from Myyour anthropomorphises the form of a hat-filled hook for a characterful entranceway. nendo’s Hat Cloud design for a Japanese milliners, meanwhile, makes reference to the theatrical relationship between hat and umbrella, by curving the base of hat hooks.

Successful storage solutions for large, awkward-shaped objects can be difficult to find. How to store a bicycle, for example, without it falling on top of you, is one of the greatest mysteries of home storage.

One solution common to commercial bike parks is double-height stacking racks like Biplano from Metalco, which utilises the airspace above the lower cycles with light racks that glide down and back up easily with minimal effort. These, however, need extra space in front to load the bike, space that most home garages can’t afford. Alternatively, hooks attached to ceiling-hung pulleys like these at the United Cycling Lab & Store in Copenhagen, Denmark, are simple to install and light to operate, while successfully keeping the bike safe from accidental scratches and collisions.

Central-hung objects aren’t exclusive to garages, of course. Bucking the trend of super minimalist kitchens, hanging pan racks are still a popular design feature for those looking to show off shiny panware in the maximalist decor of a country kitchen. The Masseria pizzeria in Toronto, Canada, for example, makes the gimmicky but also functional choice to display customer order boards on hanging utensil racks.

Another commonly hung kitchen product is glassware. Especially in bars like Prague’s Wine List, where gleaming glassware forms part of a chandelier-like light feature. As well as making interesting design features, the practice of hanging glassware upside down also reduces the opportunity for resting dust to form inside, so even home kitchen storage options like Arclinea’s Winery Collection can include hooks for glass stems, keeping them clean and usable.

As workplaces have become less formal over the past 20-30 years, the tie rack is now a near-deceased remnant of the era of power dressing for business. For those serious about their appearance, however, accessories such as ties, scarves, bags and jewellery must be stored as they are seen, keeping them safe and crease-free.

The Kier dressing table from Nunc uses its framework to hold a mirror as well as three useful hooks to keep prized, oft-used jewellery safe and visible. While the Glam Seamless hair extensions store in New York, USA, hangs its product range in a display similar to the material palette of a furniture showroom, showcasing its quality and colour range in a natural state.

With their low weight and single-screw installation, hooks are a simple way to keep items exactly where they’re most needed. Rarely is this as important as a well-positioned towel hook, close enough to reach without exiting the wash space, yet far enough to avoid careless splashes or spray.

But there’s more to a towel hook than just its positioning. For the luxury of a pre-warmed towel or robe, towel warming hooks like the slim Stick from Nordholm take up minimal extra bathroom space, yet Stick has two separate hooks to heat multiple towels at once. Alternatively, the Robe towel warmer from mg12 efficiently warms and protects two robes from spray with its fog-free mirror.

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