Montis Furniture
Modern Dutch design owes a great deal to Gerard van den Berg. While the Netherlands has a rich furniture-making tradition, it took a maverick like Van den Berg to bring it into a new era.
Van den Berg was born in 1947 to a family of designers. His father owned a furniture company in Hellevoetsluis where Van den Berg worked as an apprentice and then designer until he and his brother, Ton, founded their own workshop, in 1974. That company, named Montis, produced mostly upholstered seating for homes and businesses.
At Montis, Van den Berg challenged traditional Dutch furniture forms. Rather than starting with the piece's frame, which he felt was restrictive, he focused on the silhouette. This inspired Van den Berg to create slim and elegant furniture, often featuring angular metal legs and leather upholstery. In 1983, he pioneered the "jacket technique," consisting of a zipped leather cover around a metal frame. Several iconic Montis seats use this technique, including the Chaplin chair, the Butterfly lounge chair and the Rocky sofa.
In 1989, Van den Berg launched his own design studio and began designing for companies like Wittmann, Molteni and Perobell. He left Montis in 1990 to cofound a new company, called Label, with Ton the following year. Today, Van den Berg's son Jasper and Ton's daughter, Marieke, manage Label. Van den Berg's other son, Ivo, is also a designer at the company.
Van den Berg's irreplaceable contributions to furniture design have garnered multiple awards over the years. Some of the most notable include the Kho Liang Prize, the Mobilia Innovation Award and the Prize for Interior Architecture.
Find vintage Montis seating on 1stDibs.
2010s Dutch Montis Furniture
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Montis Furniture
Upholstery, Cotton, Walnut
2010s American Montis Furniture
Mahogany
1930s Vintage Montis Furniture
Sycamore, Faux Leather
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Montis Furniture
Leather
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Montis Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Montis Furniture
Mohair, Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Montis Furniture
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Asian William IV Montis Furniture
Leather
2010s American Montis Furniture
Maple
1970s Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Montis Furniture
Leather, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Montis Furniture
Fabric, Linen
1950s Chesterfield Vintage Montis Furniture
Leather