The most iconic couple in design turned the coat rack into a creative and playful piece
Adapted text – Herman Miller
You probably recognize the iconic style of the Eames Hang-it-All coat rack, but have you ever heard the story behind this piece, one of the most beloved in global design?
Although extensively copied over the years, the design and materials conceived by Charles and Ray Eames are originally manufactured by Herman Miller—and in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the coat rack is distributed by Novo Ambiente.
Its story goes back a few decades, when Ray Eames designed a range of whimsical toys and furniture specifically for children—including this 1953 piece—for the Tigrett Enterprises Playhouse Division.
Why products for children? For purely personal reasons: Charles and Ray wanted to give their creations to their own grandchildren and friends’ children.
The Hang-It-All received the same careful design consideration as the couple’s furniture projects. With the Hang-It-All, Charles and Ray Eames elevated the everyday coat rack into something creative and playful—which quickly made the piece a favorite among adults as well, who find in it a bridge between the everyday and the whimsical.
To create the coat rack’s wire frame, which can be attached to walls and other structures, Charles and Ray and the Eames Office applied mass-production techniques to weld the wires they had developed for earlier designs.
Initially created with multicolored hooks and a white wire frame, the range of materials and colors has since expanded, remaining true to the sophistication—and sense of fun—of the original.
The frame features a durable powder-coated finish, and each of its angular curves ends in solid wood balls. Still notable for its eccentricity, the Hang-It-All is also appreciated as a useful work of art.
“Appreciation of the small objects that are around us every day is what produces appreciation of art” – The Eameses
It is remarkable how an ordinary item in our routine can be reimagined through an artist’s eyes, is it not? Comment here with what you thought of this story, and take the opportunity to check out what’s new on our blog!