Saving Space in the Closet
Use over-the-door hooks to keep things you use frequently close-at-hand when running out
of (or back in) the house.
If you have a lot of space between the closet shelf and the ceiling, consider putting in another shelf or using wire racks to divide the space - use the upper, higher space for storage of things you don't use very often and the lower shelf space underneath for keeping other things more accessible.
Consider using cube-shaped shelving in the bottom space of the coats closet. Assign each family member their own cube for storage. This are great for school backpacks, scarves and mittens, etc.