1969

The slatted coat rack was created quite early in Jules Wabbes’ design career, and probably before 1958. A photograph of such a coat rack shows it was installed in the Foncolin, a large office building in Brussels, fully designed and furnished by Wabbes and his collaborators from 1954 to 1958. Jules Wabbes decided to prominently display the coat rack, therefore the coats and hats hung there, instead of hiding the garments in a cupboard. Wabbes’ choice to do so wasn’t a surprise, rather more of a coherent and radical principle found in his furniture design to make every part visible like the drawer slides of the desks and the joints of his slatted furniture. The coat rack reminds of a mechanical blind, a screen, a Japanese partition. The movable metallic hooks dance like notes on a music sheet, letting the user create a very nice rhythm with the different hooks.

This coat rack was originally sold by the meter, and it is still the case today. You can decide to entirely cover the wall of your entrance hall or your cloakroom, like in Wabbes’ mansion where the rack covers the wall all the way, even above the door.

The hooks are to be slid along the slats, and their position is easily adjustable. Available in two sizes, some people consider that they give the coat rack the look of a musical score, with the hooks resembling musical notes floating on the staves.

Jules Wabbes intended to use the small hook for hanging a coat and the large hook for hanging a hat. Both hooks are made of brass and are available in a polished or nickel-plated finish. You can determine the number of small hooks and the number of large hooks you want for your coat rack.