The main attraction of the cubbies [at least for me], is the ability to squeeze more coat hooks into less space: one in back and on each side.

I think 15 inches will be just a little too narrow for this: While the side hooks could probably be used without interfering with each other, the rear one would be pretty inaccessable. Part of that depends on the hooks you use, but IME stuff tends to get knocked off the small hooks if you just bump against them.

But 6ft would give you 4 18 inch enclosures before you subtract for the dividers, and it doesn't seem to me you should loose 3 inches per cubby.

I hate guesswork. Whenever I'm considering anything this tight I do a full-scale mock-up and put the actual items in there. I've used corners of my house, built things in the garage using big pieces of cardboard, plywood, whatever. Then test drive it. It's amazing what you can learn. It sounds way too small to me. Coat hooks are great because most people will actually use them, but if you look at a small coat closet the most efficient use of space is coats on hangers.

I have alotted 8.25 feet for four cubbies in my hallway from garage. I am not putting every coat we own in the cubbies, just the ones we use everyday, so I think 3 to 4 hooks per cubby will be ok . So in spring and fall, light jacket or raincoat, in winter heavy coat. I am putting the rest in a closet. It is mainly a place for backpacks, shoes, lunchboxes etc. Each person gets 2 ft. with a shelf (with basket for gloves, scarves etc) and a place underneath for shoes.

kateskouros, I have been tackling this very issue over the past week. We have an angular, kind of odd shaped mudroom that has a walk-in closet, and a powder room, then a door that opens to my laundry room. I have a few inches more than 6 feet on the one wall I was hoping to have lockers on. My powder room is in the corner and after measuring and not wanting to leave less than 30 inches of walkway to get to the powder room, I realized it will be somewhat tight. My trim carpenter suggested we actually recess them into the garage a couple of feet. We are seriously considering this. He would tear out the drywall (the new drywall behind which is a lot of wiring, as my husband refers to it) and put in a header, then drywall and insulate it and make the partitions like lockers etc. The doors to open the lockers will be flat to the wall, and there can be a smaller bench right below them to sit and put shoes on. I would want to wire it so the light comes on when the door opens. Anyway, this was just tossed out a few days ago as an option, I'm sure it will go through a couple of incarnations before we decide what to do. I have my heart set on a clutter free mudroom.

One thing I failed to take into consideration, because I thought 6 feet should be plenty of room for my 4 children to have lockers, is the space the trim takes up.

Good luck and post back if you get a good idea. You and I are trying to solve the same problem!

Amy

Hmmm...I have alloted a 5' space for cubbies for a family of 4, thinking it would be adequate. Not sure if I can change the location (or if I would want to). I definetly want everyone in the family to have their own space. I had my heart set on cubbies and not just open space. Any ideas on how to make this work? (sorry kateskoures - I'm not trying to take away from your post! I'm glad you asked this though!).
Also, does anyone have plugs for cell phone chargers in the cubby?

jennymama,
We have plugs for charging cell phones and cameras and anything else that currently lays on the counters of my kitchen and drives me nuts.....but I digress....in one of the upper cabs of the laundry room.

amyks: oh, i forgot about trim! we're building what i consider to be a big house. all this fuss over a mud room? once this is settled i get to move on to the laundry room. let the games begin!

i really like the center cut out for seating but doesn't leave enough storage for us. i have depth, so i'm going to extend a ledge out over the shoe cubbies for seating all across. again, not as low profile as i would prefer but does the job. i think i'm going to plan on four cubbies for now. i can discuss w/ the cabinet maker when he's actually got a saw in hand.

and thanks, oruboris. i have 72" to work with. we previously had plans to be able to accomodate a 5' unit. all this figuring has got my head spinning. hoping this is normal and not just me.

thanks everyone and GL in your own quest for organization, however daunting this may be.

I'm not sure how to post links here, but this is a previous post & it has some great pics.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0209020431969.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Mud Room Pics-old post

We just had a piece of furniture built -- a lot like one of the entry benches in the Pottery Barn catalogue, but with four cubbies instead of three. Actually, I ordered the baskets from Pottery Barn and gave them to the cabinetmaker, to be sure they'd fit in the space allotted.

The baskets are 15" square, and there's enough space for us. However, this sits in our entry, next to a coat closet where we store coats, jackets and all that -- not many of them since we're in CA, though.