My husband and I leave most doors open. The only time we close is for noise. If one of us is asleep while the other is making noise in another room or he is on a conference call.
I like a closet, because I can close it and hide everything. I also like that I can fit a lot more in a closet. If the closet is big enough you can use sliding doors and leave one side open all the time and it doesn’t have a door open out into the hall or room. Those seem to be out of favor in houses, although in NYC apartments they are still very common.
The hooks I worry I’m going to ruin the garment. Also, if the jacket fabric is folded hanging on the hook it might not dry well. That might be the Floridian in me. Towel hooks are a big mistake in Florida it’s so humid here. You need to open the towel and let it dry well. It’s nice when there is a bench to sit on under the hooks, but then a long coat doesn’t fit. I guess most people don’t wear long coats anymore.
In my house in Tennessee I had a laundry room near the entrance that had a long hanging bar, no closet door, but you could close the door to the laundry. I had those really cute cubbies right when you walked in the “friendly” back entrance, and never used them.
After reading the answers it helped me realize what I might find ideal if I had limited space and an area visitors would see. I’m thinking a closet with sliding doors and one side with a counter to drop stuff, and a small backless chair, like a vanity chair in a bathroom. Above the counter I think I’d just put shelves. The other side for hanging outerwear.