I am one who subscribes to the sunshine and fresh air theory ;) In the interim, I've linked to a product below that I really like. You can get it at Lowe's, for sure, and other stores (paint stores) but Lowe's is least expensive in my area. I bought a vintage (but pristine) Drexel bedroom suite and the drawers smelled of perfume (it was obnoxious). Before I ever used it I put several of these odor absorbers inside the drawers and kept them shut tight for a good month. (We got the set in winter). Come summer there was no need to air it out, after a month the smell was completely gone and dresser/armoire/night table smelled fresh and a bit citrus like, instead of old stale perfume ;) There's Citrus Magic, but I much prefer Natural Magic. Also, my local Ace has begun selling some very pricey odor absorbing gels ($17) I heard good things about but can't attest to and can't remember the name. Maybe your local Ace would have it? (Mine has it on a display with a video playing, so it's very prominent).

Jollyrd, your storage doesn't have to have as short a life span as you are thinking. It does take a little planning ahead though. For example, if you want hooks that your kids can hang their coats on, and you want to use those hooks for as long as possible, then maybe you hang them a little higher than you would ordinarily do so. That way the hooks aren't too low in two years. The kids maybe have to use a step stool for a year or two. And don't choose babyish-looking or cartoon-themed hooks that the kids will outgrow in no time. Just get plain, ordinary hooks. OR You can plan an alternative future use for the hooks. They will be used for coats for the kids now, but sports equipment when they get older. You can then install new hooks up higher, and hang a net bag for baseballs and tennis balls, etc.

I wonder if it is necessary to apply a strip both at top and bottom, or if one midway along would hold the divider. Excellent point. For us, yes, that was the case -- i.e., top and bottom were required for stability. Though, ours are 10" high drawers holding heavy casserole dishes, pots, pans, etc. Your needs aren't as heavy duty. It was cheaper for DH to purchase his dado set and create his own channels rather than spend the money on the dentil strips. And he'll be using the tools for other projects in the house, so it made sense for us. ^^^ Since it was easy enough for us to do so, we we ahead and installed top and bottom strips. A more cumbersome way to go, but you could purchase those thin strips of wood (found in the craft wood section of HD, I think) and cut them down to size. When you affix a row in the back of your drawer, just leave a gap between pieces: these gaps would serve as your channels. ETA: Poplar strips (1/4" thick) are what I'm thinking of. A 3" x 48" piece cost $3.23 a couple of years ago.

Why not look for vintage furniture that you can paint? Older pieces that are solid and well-crafted could offer you the storage you're looking for. Many have deep drawers. You could also get an armoire and put your sweaters on shelves.