Carlton Room Divider
1981 (Memphis Postmodernism)

Carlton Room Divider

Ettore Sottsass — Memphis Milano, Italy

Ettore Sottsass's Carlton combines shelving, room division and coloured sculpture through sloping planes and bold pattern.

Memphis in 1981

Carlton is one of the best-known designs associated with the Memphis group. Sottsass placed colour, pattern and unexpected geometry at the centre of the object, giving storage a strongly pictorial role.

Shelves beyond a regular grid

Horizontal surfaces meet inclined elements and coloured finishes. Together they form a distinctive figure. The compartments are not equally useful for every object, so assess practical storage separately from appearance.

Give the whole shape room

A quiet wall or open sightline makes the figure legible. Keep the contents selective and follow the installation guidance. A sculptural piece still needs a stable, appropriately secured position.

More design classics

All iconic furniture →

Related style