Design Classic: Thonet Bentwood Chair #14

The Thonet Chair #14 was first put into production in Austria in 1856 but since then has inspired hundreds (if not thousands) of knock offs and copies and is one of the most recognized chairs in modern life:

A nice compliment to streamlined furniture, these wooden chairs are comfortable (a classic in French cafe's), poetic and ooze a sense of history.

Here's a mini history of the first chair to be mass produced (and loved by the masses):

Where to find them? Try the Rose Bowl the third Sunday of the month as well as ebay, where you can find bentwood cafe chairs starting at $20/piece.

No space for the chair? Find a miniature one for your collection through Vitra or just learn more about the history of the chair in Micheal Thonet: Design Classics.

Comments (9)

These are so good-looking, but really really uncomfortable.

posted by Lisa (Montreal) on September 15th 2008 at 9:27am
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Can anyone provide any information about that console table to the right in the picture? I am looking for exactly that at coffee table height to use on my patio. Thanks!

posted by amt230 on September 15th 2008 at 9:39am
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i have a chair like this from my grams that i re-upholstered. i love it, i set my outfits and whatnot on it each night for the next day. didn't know it was so popular!

posted by jln3681 on September 15th 2008 at 9:42am
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My parents have a bentwood table and 4 chairs. All the caning in the chairs has been split, and the table top is a little warped, but damn is a fine set of furniture!

posted by revolution9 on September 15th 2008 at 9:48am
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The Thonet chairs are still produced by the same factory Thonet founded in Moravia in the 19th century, I'm very glad I can buy one for a decent price in Czech Republic (unfortunately, the do not seem to be exporting much outside Europe)
http://www.ton.cz/en/kolekce-classique.php

posted by plch on September 15th 2008 at 12:24pm
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I was lucky enough to inherit some bentwoods from my girlfriend-in-law? lol sure... but they were in need of some serious staining. I love the shape of 'em!

posted by dunklekatze on September 15th 2008 at 1:38pm
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This is my favorite cafe/dining chair ever!

No mention of Le Corbusier? (Maybe there is in that little video... can't watch it right now though, no sound at work.) Le Corbusier initiated the Thonet into the pantheon of high modernism during his Purist phase.

Also: the US company bauhaus2yourhouse distributes Thonets that they claim are manufactured in some of the original European factories, and says that they are "licensed" (or something). I have not bought any from them personally yet, but I am considering it.

posted by Cool Breeze on September 16th 2008 at 6:39am
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Or MUCH cheaper but not authentic Thonet:

http://www.kpetersen.com/bentwoodchairs.htm

posted by Sam H on August 3rd 2009 at 12:39pm
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raised in austria, i grew up with these & they are extremely comfortable. the famous cafe museum in vienna, designed by the great early modernist architect adolf loos, uses these chairs & students sit hours (& i'm not talking a measly 2 to 3 hrs) in these chairs, drinking meinl coffee and reading newspapers from all over the world. i know i did. & the ones in the cafe museum don't even have cushions. seriously, they are made for comfortable sitting for long stretches of time. extremely well made too.

posted by timmy jr. on August 30th 2009 at 1:58pm
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