Modern Icons: Eames Hang-It-All

Witty and whimsical, this candy-colored rack adds a graphic punch whether it holds clothes or goes it alone

Becky HarrisMarch 6, 2012

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.

Sometimes people get so caught up in trying to create a museum-quality midcentury modern aesthetic at home that they forget that the look can be a lot of fun. If you're taking your icons too seriously, look at how much fun Charles and Ray Eames had with their designs. They never lost their sense of playfulness, and you shouldn't either. One way they did this was by introducing bright colors. Get your feet wet with the Hang-It-All wall hook system. Its vividly hued balls make it look more like a toy than an efficient organizing tool. Here's a look at how it's hanging in a variety of spaces.

Eames Hang-It-All

Designed in 1953 as children's furniture for a playhouse line, the Hang-It-All consists of a welded steel wire frame with hooks that end in colorfully painted maple balls, resembling a composition of bent exclamation points.

Ninainvorm

The Hang-It-All is great for clothes, jackets and accessories. I love the way Ninainvorm has used hangers so all the colorful balls aren’t covered. The bright scarf and hat are a great match too.

Lisa Hallett Taylor

The hooks add a sense of play to the area where this family stores all of its big toys.

Tom Borsellino

This picture makes me think of some midcentury businessman opening the front door and flinging his hat like a Frisbee, and it lands right on the Hang-It-All.

See the rest of this California Eichler home

User

The rack is right at home with other popular midcentury pieces, like this Nelson Marshmallow Sofa and Eames Eiffel Base Shell Chairs.

Carl Wooley

Another Nelson design, the Nelson Bench, works well with the Hang-It-All. Bertoia wire counter stools also contribute to the midcentury modern collection.

Why do all of these pieces work so well together? Perhaps it's because of the designers' history together. George Nelson supervised the Eameses when he was the director of design at Herman Miller, while Harry Bertoia once worked for the Eameses.

Aesthetic Outburst

This creative family home needed a hanger to corral outerwear.

See the rest of this home

francescamori

Here it adds a burst of bright colors to a playroom.

Midcentury Wall Hooks

Herman Miller released this limited edition in black steel with walnut balls in 2010. It has sold out, but if you're persistent you can find it on resale sites.

Emily McCall

The walnut version is perfect for a spot that needs some thing a bit more subdued, like this guest room, which sticks to a neutral palette in a variety of textures.

See the rest of this room

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