Elio Vigna
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Umbrella Stands
Metal
People Also Browsed
20th Century American Books
Paper
Antique 19th Century Italian Baroque Revival Beds and Bed Frames
Silver
Vintage 1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Fiberglass
Vintage 1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fiberglass
Late 20th Century American Statues
Bronze
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Drawings
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Organic Modern Figurative Sculptures
Clay, Ceramic
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
Metal
20th Century American Sculptures
Resin, Paint, Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures
Bronze
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Stainless Steel
2010s Dutch Floor Lamps
Leather
Mid-20th Century Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Scientific Instruments
Late 20th Century American Side Tables
Ceramic, Glass
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Wall-mounted Sculptures
Bronze
Finding the Right coat-racks-stands for You
Your guests might have to endure all kinds of harsh climes to get to your housewarming party, so let’s make sure their trusty overcoats and umbrellas have a home. Shop the antique and vintage coat racks and stands on 1stDibs today.
Coat racks, umbrella stands, wall-mounted hooks for outerwear — they’ve long served a practical purpose. In the days of travel by horse or foot, a guest might arrive on your doorstep bedraggled, windblown and often dripping with rain. While transportation has thankfully improved since then, a coat rack in the entryway or foyer of your home is still the beacon it was back then: It says, “Come in, where it’s dry and warm. Hang up your coat and stay a while.”
Coat stands are among history’s fairly rudimentary ideas, so it’s difficult to point to the original inventor of this eternally functional fixture, but Thomas Jefferson was said to have fashioned one of his own at Monticello. Jefferson, who would’ve made a great interior designer, placed a long wooden pole in his closet that was adorned with spokes from which his coats and other garments could be hung. The simplicity of Jefferson’s coat-tree is echoed in designs from the 18th and 19th centuries.
The timeless convenience of a wooden coat rack has endured. While there are striking Art Deco coat stands made of oak and walnut that would meet your mudroom needs well, some of the product designers behind what we now call mid-century modern coat stands turned to materials other than wood, working frequently with plastic and chrome to create unconventional alternatives. Simpler and pared-down coat stands of the mid-20th century were occasionally so interesting in form that they could pass as minimalist sculptures when not in use. Some designers, such as Jacques Adnet, helped to redefine what these classic furnishings could look like, integrating saddle leather and brass and sometimes even horseshoes for his wall hooks and racks.
Although a coat rack is undoubtedly a practical investment, we know that fun comes along with functionality. There is plenty to explore in the collection of antique, vintage and contemporary coat racks and stands on 1stDibs, so go ahead — hang up your coat and stay a while.