Coat Rack by Carlo Di Carli for Fiam

Modular coat rack unit designed by Carlo Di Carli for FIAM in Italy, 1960s. Curved bentwood and plastic knobs. One panel with additional storage drawer and shelf. Includes a circular smoked glass mirror that can be mounted on either panel. Each panel is 25 ¼" wide. The panel without the storage drawer is 7" deep.

Carlo Di Carli (1910–1999) was an Italian architect and furniture designer based in Milan, where he lived and worked for most of his life. He studied architecture at the Politecnico di Milano and began his career during the 1930s, continuing through Italy’s postwar reconstruction period. Much of his work focused on private homes—apartments, villas, and interiors—where he designed not only the architecture but also the furniture, lighting, and layouts.

Di Carli designed chairs, sofas, tables, and storage pieces that were intended for real domestic use. His furniture is known for generous proportions, visible structure, and a mix of modern lines with traditional materials such as wood and upholstery. He often designed custom pieces for specific clients and spaces, which gave his work a practical, lived-in quality rather than a mass-produced feel.

In addition to his studio practice, Di Carli was active as a teacher, writer, and editor, contributing to Italian design magazines and teaching architecture in Milan. He regularly exhibited at the Milan Triennale and worked with several Italian manufacturers, helping shape mid-century Italian interiors. Today, his work is appreciated for its clarity, comfort, and quiet elegance—design rooted in everyday life rather than formal experimentation.

FIAM is an Italian design brand and manufacturer most prominent in the mid-20th century, especially recognized for its contributions to Italian modernist furniture and objects. Active in the 1960s and 1970s, FIAM produced a range of pieces that reflected Italian industrial design principles of combining clean form with functional purpose. Many of its products—including coat stands, tables, storage cabinets, and seating—were crafted using contemporary materials such as wood, metal, and early plastics or fiberglass, often designed by Italian designers like Carlo De Carli and others associated with the period. Vintage FIAM pieces today are sought after in design markets and by collectors of Mid-Century Modern furniture, reflecting the broader global interest in Italian design of the era.