Best known for his Red and Blue chair, a modernist icon created using only two plywood plates and 15 connecting bars, Dutch designer Gerrit Thomas Rietveld trained as a cabinetmaker, and his bold vision for furniture was supported by his expertise in construction and craftsmanship.
Born in Utrecht, Rietveld learned goldsmithing in addition to the cabinetry apprenticeship he had in his carpenter father’s workshop. He studied draftsmanship with architect Piet Klaarhamer at the Utrecht Museum of Applied Arts and opened his own furniture workshop in 1917. In the 1930s, Rietveld began to experiment with then-unusual materials like plywood and aluminum, and he pursued intellectual concepts through his design, even considering a seat as a resting place for the body and the soul.
Designed in 1918, the minimalist Red and Blue chair is widely coveted by collectors and gained admirers in the likes of legendary American sculptor and designer Donald Judd over the years. (Examples of Rietveld’s designs can be found in Judd’s restored home-museum in New York City.) The Red and Blue chair is so stunning in its geometric simplicity that it is one of the most important symbols of the Dutch art and design movement of the early 20th century called De Stijl, of which Rietveld was an important part. De Stijl means “the Style” and was an effort to express utopian values through pure abstraction in design and the use of primary colors.
Another example of Rietveld’s celebrated seating furniture is the Zig-Zag chair, which was commissioned by the Dutch department store Metz & Co. and intended to be mass-produced. The resulting design — to which the rights to manufacture were bought by Cassina in 1971 — is the essence of the De Stijl movement and an example of Rietveld’s experiments with jointless chairs made from a single material, wood. The Zig-Zag chair’s armless, legless, elegant form is pure abstraction, yet it is also sturdy and comfortable.
Later in his career, Rietveld worked more often as an architect, designing buildings in prestigious settings like the Venice Biennale. He was a pioneer in more ways than one: The first building he designed, Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht in 1924, is a radically modern space and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
Find vintage Gerrit Rietveld furniture on 1stDibs.
G.W. Rietveld and J. Tricht Long Bench
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gerrit Rietveld and interior designer J. Tricht, bench, faux-leather, metal, the Netherlands, 1965 This bench was originally designed for a local bank in Dedemsvaart, The Netherland...
Steel
Spanish Long Bench or Coffee Table in Rattan and Woven Cane
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Barcelona, ES
Hand Woven Bamboo Rattan Bench with Cane Seat This Mid-Century Modernist bamboo and woven rattan / wicker rectangular long bench was handcrafted in Spain near 1960s. Design with hand...
Bamboo, Wicker, Cane, Rattan
Chinese Carved Wood Long Bench
Located in Bridgeport, CT
An elaborate and finely carved bench in a pleasing Chestnut tone wood. Scrolled crest rail ends and arm ends. With four carved panels on the back with floral and fruit vines. A reeded skirt rail and with a shaped and carved running band of leafy vines. Innner sides carved with complimentary leafy motifs. The reeded back frame with square supports. The Bench is quite sturdy and surprisingly comfortable. L. 75", Depth 21", H. 33 1/2" Condition: Please see all detail photos. Signs of age include scrapes on the left arm end, repair to right arm end, stable age crack to left-side facing seat...
Wood
Louis XV Style, Giltwood Long Bench
By La Maison London
Located in London, Park Royal
Louis XV Style Bench: Expertly hand-carved by master craftsmen and finished with an antique gilded patina, created using traditional techniques and materials. Customers Own Material ...
Giltwood, Wood
Swedish long Bench 1870c
Located in Farsta, SE
Swedish long Bench 1870c Made out of pine wood. Sold in as-is condition. Height: 42 cm/16.5 inch Depth: 27 cm/10.6 inch Widht: 132 cm/51.9 inch
Pine
$1,587
H 18.9 in W 106.3 in D 14.38 in
French antique soldid wood bench with narrow and long seat, 1930s
Located in MIlano, IT
Mid-century French wooden bench with long narrow seat, 1930s Bench with narrow and long seat with rounded corners, entirely in solid wood. The square section legs facing outwards are...
Wood
Diminutive Long Bench
Located in Greenwich, CT
An oak plank end long bench of diminutive scale, with nice graining and color. English, circa 1850. Rare scale - Now useful as a raised table top display unit, a kitchen counter s...
Oak
Long Crazy Carpet Bench, hand made
By Kino Guerin
Located in Melbourne, CA
This bench is made with laminated bent plywood with several wood veneer options.. The one showed on the pictures is made with walnut veneer with an oil finish. It can also be finishe...
Walnut, Plywood
Edward Wormley 'Long John' Bench for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A 1946 design by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, the bench, lovingly termed the “Long John" has a low profile with walnut segmented, tongue-and-groove construction atop four hairpin legs ...
Ash, Walnut
Nakki Long Bench by Mika Tolvanen
Located in Geneve, CH
Nakki tall bench by Mika Tolvane. Materials: foam, plywood, elastic belts, fabric (Harald 3, 0143). Dimensions: D 45 x W 200 x H 51 cm. Also available in different colours and materials. The founders, Mia and Torben Koed, decided to put their 30 years of experience into a new project. It was time for a change and a new challenge. The challenge was to build an ambitious design brand from the ground up with high-quality materials and great attention to the little details. With a drive to create new originals, the WOUD collection is founded upon the idea to look ahead instead of looking back and share the love for honest design. Therefore, we are eager to discover and develop new ideas whether it being in form, function or choice of material. Studio Tolvanen...
Metal
Warren Platner Long Bench for Lehigh Leopold
By Lehigh Leopold, Warren Platner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A stunning and rare piece designed by Warren Platner and manufactured by Lehigh Leopold, c.1960s, USA. The long bench features a newly upholstered tan leather seat cushion with tufte...
Chrome
Bamboo Upholstered Long Bench, Circa 1950s
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Mid century bamboo long bench. A well proportioned ready to place bench for your consideration. Of rectangular form with recent marigold color pal...
Upholstery, Bamboo
M. Stalker Long Studio Bench from Shipwreck Wood and Chain
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
M. Stalker Long Studio bench from shipwreck wood and chain, 1863-1886 Studio piece crafted from the main ship haul of the M. Stalker, a Great Lakes 1...
Iron
Sold
H 30.99 in W 85.99 in D 24.02 in
Gerrit Rietveld Church Pew for Hoeksteen Church, Uithoorn, Netherlands, 1963
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Berlin, DE
Gerrit Rietveld church pew for the Hoeksteen church, Uithoorn, Netherlands, 1963.
Metal