We have been in our house a little over a month now and we use our mudroom entrance 99.9% of the time! I thought we would use our main entry more but I think we have used it twice. We also have a main entry closet but if it came down to the choice that you are making I don't think you are making a mistake at all. It sounds like it will be much more convenient for your family to use it the way you have planned.

I live where coats are needed for half the year... and we have guests over a lot.
The guests come in the front door and use the hall closet.

Personally, I would not want to do without my hall closet.

While I think the change sounds right for you, if possible, I'd think that even a tiny hall closet would be wanted whenever you had guests. Nothing says that the hall closet must be several feet long; a narrow 30"-wide closet would have enough space to hold a dozen coats. Also, I've noticed a lot of hall closets are 3 feet deep, while 20" is actually sufficient depth for a standard rod. You could even go very modern and use valet hangars in a 10 or 12" depth, although IMO, those are only good for about 5 coats. (link is one of several types)

Here is a link that might be useful: valet hangar

What were the measurements of your mudroom before you decided it might be too small? How much space did you make now that you closed off the main entry closet. What was the size of your main entry and how big is it now without the closet? It might be useful to see a shot of the floor plan. Any chance of posting that?

Personally, I would do what works for your everyday routine. and put the closet in the mudroom. I have two entry closets and still use coat hooks for my guests coats. Would it be possible to put a door on both sides of the closet? Then you could have the best of both worlds.

IMHO, you don't need a closet at the front door but you do need some kind of system for hanging coats in the winter. A coat tree or hooks. We have the same set up and YES, we use our mudroom entrance 100 percent of the time. But guests always use the front door. A coat tree at the front door can be placed there just in the winter or when needed. We use hooks in the mudroom and I'm happy with them. I don't like the hassle of using hangers.

I disagree with the assertion that 20 inches is sufficient depth for a coat closet. It isn't. Coats are bulky items. 24 inches is the minimum acceptable depth, while 27 inches is much better, allowing the coats to hang freely without bunching against the door or rear wall.

36 inches is certainly excessive.

Can you post a pic of your layout? I might be able to give better suggestions if I could see it. I'm not sure I would get rid of the hall closet. We have a big mudroom but also a 4x2 coat closet in the foyer as anyone else that comes to our home that is not family will use this entrance and they need some place to put coats.

We have a 4' wide 27" deep front entry closet for guests' coats. The rest of the time the 3 dining room table leaves, my 54" diameter extender for my 42" round table, table cloths on hangers, and wrapping paper are stored there, along with my 2 longer dressier coats.

In the mudroom, which we use 99% of the time, we have a 4' wide by 27" deep closet for our various casual coats for all seasons, boots, hats, bike helmets, umbrellas, etc., and a bench with drawers under it with hooks over it for currently used outdoor wear. There's a boot tray across from this for rainy/snowy season.

I really disliked the 20" deep closets in my previous place, since coats were too crowded in the coat closets, and anything with sleeves ended up crowded/wrinkled in the bedroom closets.

Anne

We don't have a closet in our front foyer. We never use our front door. Never. We have lockers, a row of coat pegs and a closet in the mudroom. I have no regrets about no closet in the front foyer. The only reason we even have a front foyer is because we have a traditional center entrance colonial.

In my experience a foyer closet is *very* seldom used. They are too small if you are having a number of guests, and guests often like to freshen up upon arrival. For parties you can direct guests to a guest room where they can either hang coats on temporary racks or lay them on a bed. They can then use the guest bath facilities before joining the gathering. If you live in 'sloppy weather' country, you'd want a bench or stool in the foyer where guests can sit to remove boots upon first arriving.

Our foyer closet contains only our own dress coats. In the back hall we have a huge closet that has multiple uses: coats, mops, cleaning stuff, Costco stuff, central vac hose, DR table leaves, ETC! We also have some coat hooks on a wall and a stool for boot removal.

In our previous place we had an extra bedroom on the first floor where guests could put their coats. However, in our new house they'd have to go to the second floor or lower level. I'd rather have the closet by the front entry for their coats than have them use the master bedroom on the first floor as a coat depository. Somehow it seems like they'd be invading our private space.

Anne

My vote is no hall closet. Put a coat tree up, or a row of hooks. If you have a LOT of company over at once, do what most do, lay the coats on a bed. lol.

As we get older, space becomes so valuable. I'd rather have a larger mud room than a hall closet.

Leave the hall closet, but add a door to the coatroom side so that it can be accessed from either side.

it probably will matter at resale, but truth be told: when i have a full house (and i mean FULL ...like 30 people) the hall closet isn't going to cut it. we'll have to use the ground floor guest room closet around the corner, which is no big deal.
i have very fond memories of my cousin and i trying to find our little wool coats on our aunt's bed under a mound of twenty furs. it was like animal kingdom in there!
is your mudroom easily accessible from the front entrance? how about another bedroom nearby with a closet? you will need room for guest's coats... but i definitely think the mudroom is worth every extra foot you can possibly give it. good luck!

Oh, *sure* Kate...like you didn't try ON all those furs! LOL (Remember 'stoles'?)

Guess what I did? Took ALL the closets out of my first floor. We did add one in- in the library which for the time being is the MIL suite.

We had a large closet by the back door, in the mud room. We took it out, it's where the lockers etc will be.

There were also two closets flanking the front door. We made the entries on either side larger (and symmetric) and removed the closets. I cannot imagine having them now, it opened up the foyer so nicely. When we have guests we use hall trees or beds. We live on a farm and NO ONE has come to the front entry yet. Of course we have 10 doors and you come to 3 other doors first! And then there's the no steps to the porch (yet) LOL! That really keeps people off the front porch.

PD