Since you don;t like closet doors - how about some of those Saloon type doors? You could store his "junk" in either an old fashioned pickle barrel on the closet floor or in some fruit baskets... or even some old looking leather trunks. Hang 12" thick or deeper shelves in lieu of a rod - its easier and you don't get those nasty hanger marks...you also get a lot more storage in there if everything is folded. It also serves for shoes, clotehs, books, toys... multi purpose.

Do you know anybody who does murals? If not, this one could be easy: make one wall into the town jail - complete with black iron bars and wanted posters. Hang a shlef real high (about 18" from the ceiling) and put fake Sasparilla labels on water bottles, grapjuice bottles, etc. Hang a real cool Saloon type mirror under it, then put his dresser under that. (how cool would it be to find a register as his piggy bank?)

Ok, That's what I've got off the top of my head... give me the night to think about it!