For more than 180 years, Thonet — or Gebrüder Thonet — has produced elegant and durable tables and cabinets as well as chairs, stools and other seating that wholly blur the lines between art and design. Widely known as a trailblazer in the use of bentwood in furniture, the European manufacturer has reimagined the places in which we gather.
Noted for his skill in parquetry, German-Austrian company founder Michael Thonet received an invitation from Austrian Chancellor Prince Metternich to contribute Neo-Rococo interiors to the Liechtenstein City Palace in Vienna. The Boppard-born Thonet had honed his carpentry skills in his father’s workshop, where he carried out experiments with plywood and modified the Biedermeier chairs that populated the studio.
Thonet’s work for the chancellor raised his profile, and the cabinetmaker gained international recognition, including at London’s Great Exhibition of 1851, which featured works created by members of the Arts and Crafts movement as well as industrial products of the day. Thonet showed a range of furniture at the fair and won the bronze medal for his bentwood chairs. He incorporated his family’s company, the Thonet Brothers, with his sons in 1853.
Bentwood furniture dates as far back as the Middle Ages, but it is the 19th-century cabinetmaker Thonet who is most often associated with this now-classic technique. Thonet in 1856 patented a method for bending solid wood through the use of steam, and from there, the bentwood look skyrocketed to furniture fame. The works of renowned mid-century modern designers such as Alvar Aalto, Arne Jacobsen, and Charles and Ray Eames that put this technological advancement to use would not be as extensive or celebrated were it not for the efforts of the pioneering Thonet.
Considered the world’s oldest mass-produced chair, Michael Thonet’s ubiquitous Chair No. 14 demonstrated that his patented bentwood technology made it possible to efficiently produce furniture on an industrial scale. Now known as the 214, it won the German Sustainability Award Design for 2021, a recognition of the company’s commitment to environmentally responsible production.
Often called the Coffee House chair — the company’s first substantial order was for a Viennese coffeehouse — the No. 14 remains an icon. Thonet originally designed the chair in 1859, and it is considered the starting point for modern furniture.
The bentwood process opened doors — there were investments in machinery and new industrial processes, and the business began mass-producing furniture. By the end of the 1850s, there were additional Thonet workshops in Eastern Europe and hundreds of employees. Michael Thonet’s reputation attracted the attention of notable architects including Otto Wagner, Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
The No. 14 was followed by the No. 18, or the Bistro chair, in 1867, and the 209, or the Architect’s chair, of which Le Corbusier was a fan. (The influential Swiss-French architect and designer used Thonet furniture in his Pavillon de l’Esprit Nouveau at the 1925 International Exposition of Decorative Arts in Paris.)
Thonet’s chair designs also appeared in artwork by Toulouse-Lautrec, John Sloan and Henri Matisse in his Interior with a Violin Case. The noteworthy Thonet rocking chair remains a marvel of construction — in the middle of the 19th century, Michael produced a series of rockers in which the different curved parts were integrated into fluid, sinuous wholes. Thanks to Thonet, the humble rocker acquired something unexpected: style. It was captured in the paintings of Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and James Tissot.
Thonet is currently split into global divisions. Thonet Industries U.S.A. was acquired in 1987 by Shelby Williams and joined the CF Group in 1999, while the Thonet brand in Germany is owned by Thonet GmbH.
Find a collection of antique Thonet furniture on 1stDibs.
$3,513Sale Price|20% Off
1930s Adolf Loos Office Chair Model 669 for Cafe Capua by Thonet
By Adolf Loos, Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Carefully refurbished and finish by shellac. - Measures: height of the armrests are 71cm. - height of seat 44 cm.
Wood
Thonet S 411 Tubular Steel Cantilever Armchair, Germany, circa 1935
By Thonet
Located in Berlin, DE
Thonet S 411 tubular steel cantilever armchair with fabric upholstery, designed by the Thonet Company in 1932. This original tubular steel cantilever armch...
Steel, Chrome
Bauhaus chair no.811 by Josef Hoffmann
By Thonet, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Bauhaus chair no.811 by Josef Hoffmann for Thonet in very nice original condition with signs of use.
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood
$2,922Sale Price|35% Off
Bentwood Cane Salonfauteuil Easy Chair Thonet No. 1, circa 1890
By Thonet, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Lucenec, SK
Very rare antique Thonet easy chair no 1 produced by Gebruder Thonet from the late 19th century in a very good condition with new cane on seat, cane ...
Cane, Bentwood
Pair of Mid-Century Danish Bentwood Armchairs by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pair of Danish Mid-Century bentwood armchairs with original yellow & white vinyl upholstery by Thonet Industries. Featuring Thonet's signature build quality, the back and seat ar...
Wood, Teak, Bentwood
$25,800 / set
Eight Dining Chairs by Anton Lorenz for Thonet
By Thonet, Anton Lorenz
Located in Dallas, TX
Set of 8 armchairs designed by Anton Lorenz for Thonet. Each chair has tan upholstered backrest and seat with polished chrome tubular frames. Mid-Century Modern S-37 chairs were ori...
Chrome
C. 1977 Italian Cantilever Side Chair in Chromed Steel with Caned Seat and Back
By Thonet
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Tubular Chromed-Steel Cantilever Z Chair, designed in the 1970s. This chair dates to ca. 1977 and was produced by Thonet. It has a Vienna Braid caned seat and back, and it ...
Chrome, Steel
$3,005 / set
Set of Five Chairs by Thonet, Vienna
By Thonet
Located in Wolfurt, AT
This set of five Thonet chairs. The chairs was made by Thonet in 1984 of dark lacquered wood and grey seat and back with silver upholstery nails. A new cover is necessary, otherwise ...
Wood, Leather
Emile Guillot Tubular Steel Modernist Armchair Made by Thonet
By Emile Guillot, Thonet
Located in London, GB
Emile Guillot tubular steel modernist armchair made by Thonet. The shaped headrest, arms and shaped seat are ebonized Beech wood.
Steel
$665Sale Price|20% Off
1970s Antonin Suman Chair by TON in Kirkby Fabric
By Antonín Šuman, Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Carefully refurbished - Newly upholstered in Zinc luxury fabric :SOL silver grey
Fabric, Wood
Pair of August Thonet Bentwood Chairs by Thonet Bros
By Thonet, August Thonet
Located in Madrid, ES
Bentwood chairs with new silk-blend seat upholstery. Chairs designed by August Thonet, the son of original bentwood furniture designer Michael Thonet. August took over his father's b...
Silk, Bentwood
Thonet S320 green Chair Ulrich Boehme & Wulf Schneider
By Thonet, Wulf Schneider, Ulrich Bohme
Located in Munich, Bavaria
This Thonet Chair Model S320 in green version. Rare Colour. Designed by Ulrich Boehme & Wulf Schneider.
Beech, Bentwood, Plywood
19th Century Art Nouveau Thonet Chairs by J. Hoffmann, 1st edition - CZ ca. 1906
By Thonet, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Very rare pair of the first edition(!) Art Nouveau chairs Mod. 643 from the early 20th century, produced by Thonet in Bohemia around 1906. Designed by none other than the world famou...
Leather, Bentwood
Large Thonet rocking chair no.7021B
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Large Thonet rocking chair no.7021B in excellent structural condition. The rattan cane is mostly tight and intact, with only a minor, non-critical defect on the backrest that does no...
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood
Cafe Capua Chair no.519 by Adolf Loos for Thonet
By Thonet, Adolf Loos
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Iconic Design: The No. 519 Café Capua Chair Experience a piece of architectural history with the No. 519 Café Capua chair. Designed in 1913 by the pioneering modernist architect Adol...
Beech, Bentwood
$1,760Sale Price|20% Off
Mid Century Thonet Danish Bentwood Armchairs - a Pair
By Thonet
Located in Waxahachie, TX
Came out of a government building in Oklahoma City. Still labeled. A fabulous pair of Mid Century/ Danish Modern Chairs by Thonet Industries. They are super heavy and solid chairs-...
Naugahyde, Wood
Pair of 1930's Thonet Bentwood Armchairs in the style of Alvar Aalto
By Thonet
Located in Chicago, IL
This lovely pair of 1930's Thonet bentwood lounge chairs was recently reupholstered in an amazing performance fabric from HBF textiles (Merci Boucle in their Du Jour colorway). The ...
Upholstery, Bentwood
Art Nouveau Style Sofa By Thonet, 20th Century
By Thonet
Located in PARIS, FR
Art Nouveau Style Sofa By Thonet, 20th Century Art Nouveau Style Sofa by Thonet Magnificent Art Nouveau period sofa, designed by the famous house of Thonet. This unique piece is dis...
Textile, Wood
Early Thonet No. 209 Armchair, Reupholstered in Dedar Velvet Fabric
By Thonet
Located in Krefeld, DE
An iconic Thonet No. 209 armchair, beautifully reupholstered in luxurious Dedar velvet fabric. Designed in 1900, the Thonet 209 is one of the most celebrated examples of bentwood fu...
Velvet, Bentwood
Dining Room Chairs by Josef Hoffmann for Thonet, Austria 1930s
By Thonet, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Wien, AT
This refined chair, part of a rare set of six attributed to Josef Hoffmann and dating to circa 1935, stands as a compelling expression of the architect’s mature design language, in w...
Wicker, Beech
$1,664Sale Price|20% Off
Thonet - Michael Thonet - No. 511 - Armchair - Beech
By Thonet, Michael Thonet
Located in Budapest, HU
Thonet Armchair, Model No. 511 — Black Lacquered Wood and Red Upholstery This elegant armchair, Model No. 511, was manufactured by the iconic Viennese firm Thonet, a name synonymous...
Upholstery, Beech
Extremely rare armchairs no.6521 by Otto Wagner for Thonet
By Otto Wagner, Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Extremely rare armchairs no.6521 Thonet Otto Wagner in very good original contidion with signs of use.
Beech
$647Sale Price / item|20% Off
Thonet armchair model EMT 0030 designed by Rudolf Glatzel 1961
By Thonet
Located in Debrecen, HU
Rudolf B. Glatzel for Thonet, lounge chair, model 'EMT0030' designed in 1961, Germany. The chair features a beech frame, upholstered seat, and backrest, covered in swiss fabric. t...
Fabric, Beech
Thonet S 33 Vintage Black Saddle Leather Chair Mart Stam Cantilever, Set of 4
By Mart Stam, Thonet
Located in Munich, Bavaria
Thonet Mart Stam S33 chair in made by Thonet. The Classic Bauhaus chair. Frame chrome-plated tubular steel, saddle leather black Beautiful Vintage Condit...
Steel, Chrome
$1,331Sale Price / set|20% Off
1930s Pair of Restored Thonet Armchairs, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Carefully refurbished and finished in shellac - Newly upholstered - Labeled by Thonet
Fabric, Wood
Pair of Iconical Art Nouveau Bentwood No. 14 Chairs by Gebrüder Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
An exceptional and highly collectible pair of antique Model No. 14 bistro chairs, manufactured by the legendary Gebrüder Thonet Gebrüder Thonet company during the late 19th or early ...
Beech, Bentwood
Set of Two '2' Bentwood Slipper Chairs in Original Fabric by Thonet, USA, 1940s
By Thonet
Located in Deland, FL
Comfort. Vintage fabric. Captivating bentwood legs. These two slipper chairs are the perfect addition to any space needing a pop of color and/or a minimal footprint. The original yel...
Fabric
$3,005Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern 1980s Flex 2000 6 pcs Stacking Chairs by Gerd Lange for Thonet, Black
By Thonet, Gerd Lange
Located in Basel, BS
Excellent set of 6 Flex 2000 Stacking Chairs by Gerd Lange for Thonet, with Solid Black wooden frames and black seats. No longer produced, Rare items. VERY hard to find in solid black. Very Chic! Designed by Gerd Lange in 1983, manufactured in Western-Germany. The legs are made of solid ashwood, stained black. The seat and back consists of original black PVC material. Incredible space savers-- stackable! Dimensions 18.3ʺW × 16ʺD × 31.1ʺH International Shipping details...
Beech, Birch
Thonet swivel chair no.5541
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Thonet swivel chair no.5541 in original vintage condition with signs of use.
Beech, Bentwood
Rocking Chair S826 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Neuss, NW
Classic rocking chair by Ulrich Böhme for Thonet. Designed in 1971, model S826. Frame made of chrome-plated tubular steel. The rocking chair has been reupholstered and covered with a...
Steel
$4,993Sale Price / set|20% Off
Josef Maria Olbrich, Pair of armchairs for Thonet, Austria, 1910
By Joseph Maria Olbrich, Thonet
Located in Argelato, BO
Josef Maria Olbrich, Pair of armchairs for Thonet, Austria, 1910 Rare and extraordinary set of 2 bent beech chairs by the architect and designer Olbrich for Thonet from an important office in Trieste...
Bentwood
$595Sale Price|30% Off
Vienna Secession Bent Oak Side Chair No. 14 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Late Victorian Thonet number 14 side chair features an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid curves and an elegant arched backrest. All showc...
Oak
Secession desk chair no.6095 by Otto Wagner for Thonet
By Thonet, Otto Wagner
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Secession desk chair no.6095 by Otto Wagner for Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished.
Brass
$3,840Sale Price|20% Off
Josef Frank Armchair, Model No. 403/F, 1928
By Thonet, Josef Frank
Located in Chicago, IL
Josef Frank Armchair, Model No. 403/F, 1928 This Armchair, designed by Josef Frank in 1928, features a stained bent beech frame and stained beech plywood. It was manufactured by Gebr...
Bouclé, Beech
12 Dining Chairs, Manufactured for export in Argentina, with original labels
By Thonet
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
12 Chairs Made for Argentina by Thonet. It is verified on the label that it has the word Manufacturing in Spanish (Fabricacion Checo-Eslovaca) / Thonet Delivered restored at the cust...
Wood
$360Sale Price|20% Off
1980s Chair by Ton, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Good original condition. - Made in Czechoslovakia. - Wood cleaned and then treated with revitalizing oil. - Shows signs of use (scratches, scuffs, etc.). - Stable and sturdy. - Ma...
Wood, Beech, Bentwood
Thonet S 33 Vintage Cognac Vegetal Leather Chair Mart Stam Cantilever 1 of 2
By Thonet, Mart Stam
Located in Munich, Bavaria
These Cantilever vintage chairs are Bauhaus classics and were designed 1926 by Mart Stam and produced by Thonet with the Model name S33. Original Thonet Chairs. The chairs usually h...
Steel, Chrome
Set of Four Mid Century Dining Chairs by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in New York, NY
Chic set of four dining chairs, made in the USA, circa 1950's , manufactured by Thonet. The chairs are constructed of bent plywood, vinyl and aluminum, they are currently in a lat...
Upholstery, Wood
$573Sale Price / item|20% Off
Ton Bentwood Armchair With Gold Velvet, Czechoslovakia 1930s, 40 Available
By TON a.s., Josef Hoffmann, Thonet
Located in Zohor, SK
Iconic and elegant armchair produced by TON in Czech republic in 1930s. This particular chair is a variation on the classic model '811' Thonet Hoffman chair...
Velvet, Bentwood
$716 / item
Bentwood dining chairs by Thonet Mundus
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Bentwood dining chairs by Thonet Mundus. Professionally stained and repolished. Each chair is different but with same seats.
Beech, Bentwood
Vintage Thonet Stool – White Lacquered Wood & Brown Leather – 1990s–2000s
By Thonet
Located in Hannover, DE
Vintage Thonet Stool – White Lacquered Wood with Brown Leather Seat – 1990s–2000s A stylish and well-crafted stool by Thonet, likely produced between the 1990s and early 2000s. The ...
Beech
$1,109 / set
Bentwood dining chairs by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Bentwood dining chairs by Thonet in very nice original condition with signs of use.
Beech, Bentwood
$1,015Sale Price|30% Off
Vienna Secession Bent Oak Chair w/ Shell Seat No. 14 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Vienna Secession Bent Oak Chair w/ Shell Seat No. 14 by Thonet features an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking flui...
Oak
Vienna Secession Bent Oak & Cane Chaise Lounge Chair No.01 by Gebrüder Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Victorian bent oak & cane number 01 chaise lounge chair by Gebrüder Thonet features an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid curves and elega...
Wicker, Oak
Vienna Secession Dark Stain Bent Oak & Cane Foling Chair No. 01 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Victorian child-size Thonet number 01 folding chair with woven cane seat and backrest. It features an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid c...
Wicker, Oak
$693Sale Price|51% Off
Thonet Office Armchair in Oak, Czechoslovakia, circa 1930s
By Thonet
Located in Zohor, SK
This beautiful office chair was produced by Thonet company. Original burnt in label still slightly visible in the bottom of the chair (see pictures). Made of strong oak wood and plyw...
Oak, Plywood
Modernist Thonet A 745/F Armchair manufactured by Tatra, Stained Wood, c. 1930
By Tatra, Thonet
Located in Berlin, DE
Modernist armchair modell A 745/F in stained bentwood designed by Thonet and manufactured under Thonet licence by Tatra, Slovakia, c. 1930.
Bentwood
$388Sale Price|20% Off
1970s Beech Bentwood Chair by Ton, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Carefully refurbished - Newly upholstered - The height of armrests is 70cm
Wood, Bentwood, Beech
Modernist Maple Josef Frank Fabric Eight Dining Chairs Karl Schwanzer, 1950s
By Thonet, Karl Schwanzer
Located in Vienna, AT
Modernist Mid-Century Modern vintage eight ( 8 ) dining chairs or chairs from maple wood in honey brown color tone by Karl Schwanzer for Thonet 1953 Vienna. A gorgeous set of eight (...
Fabric, Upholstery, Maple
Pair Thonet Side Chairs Scalloped and Ribbed Open Back and Bronze Nail Heads
By Thonet
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A stunning pair of Thonet Chairs. A departure from the traditional bentwood framework, this frame features a bentwood leg, however the draw is an open scallop back with ribbed Chann...
Wrought Iron
Vienna Secession Bent Oak & Cane High Back Armhair No. 17 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Victorian high back Thonet number 17 armchair features an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid curves and an elegant round arched backrest. ...
Oak
1951 W199 Dining Armchair by Walter Gropius and Ben Thompson for Thonet in Birch
By Walter Gropius, Ben Thompson, Thonet
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a W199 Dining Armchair, originally designed by Walter Gropius and Ben Thompson for Thonet in 1951. The chair was produced in Austria in the early 1950s. The design features b...
Birch, Nutwood
$258Sale Price / item|20% Off
Hajdúthonet Bar Stool, Bent Beechwood, Modern Design, Hungary, 1970s
By Thonet
Located in Debrecen, HU
Discover this elegant and sturdy bar stool from the early 1970s, crafted by Hajdúthonet in Debrecen, Hungary, specifically for the American market. This unique piece is made of bent ...
Wood
Rare Blac Secession Thonet Chair
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Very rare blac secession Thonet chair.
Beech, Bentwood
$388Sale Price|20% Off
1940s Thonet Beech Chair no. 57, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- partly refurbished - some signs of use - sturdy and stable - Height of seat 47
Wood, Beech
$800Sale Price / item|20% Off
S 32 Cantilever Thonet Side Chair
By Thonet, Mart Stam
Located in Pasadena, TX
S 32 Cantilever Thonet side chair S 32 Cantilever chair combines the tubular steel frame with leather upholstered seat and backrest for comfort. Price for 1...
Chrome
Thonet Bentwood Armchair in the style of Alvar Aalto
By Thonet
Located in Chicago, IL
1940's Thonet bentwood lounge chair. The chair features bentwood arms and legs that have been lacquered in black (the arms and legs are in original condition with some imperfections ...
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage Thonet No 17 Armchair 1970s
By Thonet
Located in Čelinac, BA
Thonet No 17 Armchair 1970s
Bentwood
Bentwood dining chair no.228 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Bentwood dining chair no.228 by Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
Pair of 1980s Bentwood Armchairs by Antonín Šuman for TON, Czechoslovakia
By Antonín Šuman, Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Elegant pair of vintage bentwood armchairs designed by Antonín Šuman for TON, dating from circa 1980 and manufactured in Czechoslovakia. The chairs feature beautifully curved bent be...
Fabric, Wood, Beech