Thonet, the founding father of furniture design

After mastering the craft of carpentry, the German-Austrian Michael Thonet became a furniture maker in 1819. The development of chair no. 14 became his breakthrough. This Viennese coffee house chair was made by bending solid beech wood. In addition to beech, Thonet also worked with tubular steel. The furniture maker is considered the founder of furniture design. Faster and cheaper production Right from the start, Michael Thonet made beds, armchairs and chairs in the conventional Biedermeier style. However, he quickly sought cheaper and faster methods of furniture production. He tried to avoid wasting material. The industrialisation of his furniture allowed him to work with a stock and not by order. Curved wood Thonet became known for his chair No. 14, which provided seating for the Viennese coffee house Café Daum. More than 50 million copies of this chair were produced. The development of this piece of furniture was made possible by bending wood. By boiling thin wooden slats in glue until they became pliable, he could press bundles of these slats into a mould to create a shape. Finally, the furniture maker covered this with veneer. To protect this method, he applied for patents so he could sell licences. He used a vague description to prevent counterfeiting, but as a result his patent application was rejected. Years later, his application was accepted in Vienna because he knew the Austrian chancellor. Technology became increasingly industrialised and there was talk of a genuine Thonet factory. World Fair of 1851 In 1851, Thonet participated in the Chrystal Palace World's Fair in London. His international breakthrough was made here. From 1930, his sons also produced tubular metal furniture. Thonet was the world's largest manufacturer of the then new tubular steel furniture. The furniture was designed by famous Bauhaus architects such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Marcel Breuer, Mart Stam, etc. This tubular metal furniture is a true milestone in furniture history. The Swing chair by Furnified is a beautiful interpretation of classic tubular furniture. Its timeless wicker design and comfortable seat make it the ideal chair for your dining room. In a broader interpretation of the classic tubular furniture, another version of the Swing chair emerged. The self-supporting metal structure is covered with high-quality Aniline leather, which makes this chair extra sturdy.