Thonet's Bentwood Chair

2009 sees Thonet celebrate the 190th anniversary of the founding of the company by Michael Thonet and its also the 150th anniversary of the bentwood classic 214 Chair. Developed specifically to appeal to the broader community with its affordable price point, the chair has subsequently become a design classic. The solid bent wood chair has been in production since its inception, with over 50 million chairs produced to date.

The newly developed technique of bending solid wood enabled the shape and form of these simple, clean and classic chairs. The original idea was to flat pack the parts into one cubic metre and shipped internationally to then be assembled onsite. Thonet was a revolutionary, a pioneer in industrial design for this concept. This idea was the starting point for the history of modern furniture.

Today, the company is run by the fifth generation of the Thonet family, direct descendents of Michael Thonet, in Frankenberg in North Hesse, Germany, Thonet’s head office. They still produce the chairs with the tradional processes and originals can be identified by the embossed Thonet logo with the year on the bottom of the seat frame.

Brisbane doesn’t have a direct supplier anymore, but the Thonet Sydney office is very helpful and will arrange transport for you.

My favourite ‘twist’ on the chair is the 214K chair, the classic with a simple knot in the front leg.