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.
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Serious 03 in Lacquered Wood an Green Leather
By Thonet
Located in Tilburg, NL
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Serious in Lacquered Wood and Leather. New, current production. With the JS . THONET signature collection, she has taken the m...
Steel
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Nordic 01 in White Oak and Caramel Leather
By Thonet
Located in Tilburg, NL
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Serious in Lacquered Wood and Leather. New, current production. With the JS . THONET signature collection, she has taken the m...
Steel
Norman Foster - Leather Lounge Chairs by Thonet, A 903PF, 1999
By Thonet, Sir Norman Foster
Located in Rosendahl, DE
Norman Foster Lounge Chairs, Model A 903PF for Thonet Stunning A 903PF lounge chairs, designed by celebrated architect Norman Foster for Thonet. These chairs showcase Foster’s hallm...
Leather
Gerd Lange Set of Two Stools designed for Thonet, 1970s
By Gerd Lange, Thonet
Located in Antwerp, BE
Rare set of two stools designed by GERD LANGE for Thonet. also available set of four chairs.
Wood
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Nordic 03 in White Oak and White Alabaster Leather
By Thonet
Located in Tilburg, NL
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Nordic in oak and Leather. New, current production. With the JS . THONET signature collection, she has taken the most famous t...
Steel
Mart Stam for Thonet Lounge Chair in Weathered Solid Iroko and Stainless Steel
By Thonet, Mart Stam
Located in Tilburg, NL
Mart Stam Lounge Chair for Thonet in Weathered Solid Iroko and Stainless Steel, Germany, early 21st century. Beautiful and rare lounge version of the S40 chair by Mart Stam, which i...
Stainless Steel
Early Mid-Century Modern Thonet Armchair Attributed To Russel Wright
By Thonet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This early Mid-Century Modern lounge armchair was manufactured by Thonet circa late 40s - early 50s. This chair design has been attributed to the noted American Modern designer Russe...
Maple, Fabric
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Serious 04 in Lacquered Wood an Blue Leather
By Thonet
Located in Tilburg, NL
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Serious in Lacquered Wood and Leather. New, current production. With the JS . THONET signature collection, she has taken the m...
Steel
Vintage Thonet Armchair, Steel Frame, Herringbone Pattern, Germany
By Thonet
Located in Hamburg, DE
Big Thonet steel pipe armrest chair with a special cover in the herringbone pattern.Elegant chair or armchair. The continuous … Read more Big Thonet steel pipe armrest chair with a s...
Metal
Thonet Chair HO. 41, 1905s
By Michael Thonet, Thonet
Located in Čelinac, BA
Thonet chair HO 41, restored in good condition. Designed by Michael Thonet.
Plywood
Chair Thonet 811, Josef Hoffmann
By Thonet, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Praha, CZ
Original state with a pleasant patine of age, perfectly cleaned and re-polished.
Bentwood
Marcel Breuer for Thonet B35 Mid Century Chrome and Rattan Lounge Chairs - Pair
By Thonet, Marcel Breuer
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Marcel Breuer for Thonet B35 Mid Century Chrome and Rattan Lounge Chairs - Pair Each chair measures: 25.5 wide x 31.5 deep x 32.75 high, with a seat height of 14.5 and arm height/ch...
Chrome
Art Nouveau Side Chair Designed by Thonet, Austria, 1910
By Thonet
Located in Antwerp, BE
Classic collectible chair by famous German-Austrian cabinetmaker Michael Thonet. Bentwood frame with hooped legs. The seat is embossed with a decorative floral motif.
Bentwood
Jugendstil Thonet Brown Beech Shoe Stool by Josef Hoffmann attr. c 1907, Vienna
By Thonet
Located in Vienna, AT
Jugendstil Thonet brown beech shoe stool was designed circa 1907 and executed by Gebr. Thonet Vienna attributed to Josef Hoffmann. A gorgeous Jugendstil sho...
Beech
$875Sale Price|30% Off
Michael Thonet Solid Beechwood and Cane no. 210 Armchair
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Thonet
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Chair nr 210 designed by Gebrüder Thonet in 1900, (as well as nr 209) of renown designer Le Corbusier. This chair is made in Czechoslovakia (pre WW2 factory of Thonet). New cane c...
Wicker, Cane, Bentwood
Thonet Black Bentwood Stool, Cane & Wood, Art Deco Style, Europe, 1920
By Thonet
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Thonet black bentwood stool - 20th Thonet - Side Stool - Mid-Century Measures : Ø 42cm H:47cm Materials : Wood - Cane Manufacturer’s mark stamped under th...
Cane, Bentwood
$2,572 / item
Slatted Arm Chair Art Nouveau designed by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Antwerp, BE
Rare set of two slatted art nouveau arm chairs in used original condition. Designed by Thonet Austria.
Bentwood
$2,368 / set
Six chairs Thonet Nr.41, 1885
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Completely renovated in the recent past. Solid and compact. Perfectly cleaned and polished with shellac. Model No. 41 appeared in Thonet catalogs in 1885. The most famous use of the...
Beech, Bentwood
$6,452Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Germany Icon Bauhaus B35 Black Leather Chair by Marcel Breuer for Thonet
By Thonet, Marcel Breuer
Located in Warszawa, Mazowieckie
This design icon from 1928, the B35 armchair, was designed by Marcel Breuer in the late 1920s and made by the German Thonet factory in the early 1930s. This piece is made of tubular steel and black leather with natural patina. The materials used and the traces of wear show that this is an early production of this timeless modell. The armrests are finished with solid wood. Following the success of his Wassily chair, Breuer continued to experiment with tubular steel furniture. Like the Wassily chair, the B35 was not a direct representative of the Bauhaus school, but is clearly in line with the Bauhaus design and construction principles, with a modern, stripped-down form made of industrial materials not used today in furniture production. Marcel Breuer was born in 1902 in Hungary. He was an architect and designer. He received a scholarship to study painting and sculpture at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts in 1920, but quickly quit and applied to the Bauhaus school in Weimar, Germany. After completing the preliminary courses there, he studied at the Bauhaus furniture...
Chrome
Cocktail Chair, Thonet, Vienna, 1950s
By Thonet
Located in Wolfurt, AT
The relatively small cocktail chair covered with a firm vinyl cover, the seams of which are stabilised by a piping strip. The backrest is not only decorated with upholstery nails in the lower arch, but also reinforced. The chairs stand sturdily on light beechwood legs. Original condition. Please note that upholstered chairs from the 1950s like to have a lower seat height of 41 to...
Faux Leather, Wood
Original 430 Chair by Verner Panton for Thonet, 1960s
By Alexander Girard, Thonet
Located in Dronten, NL
An exceptional and rare original 430 Chair designed by Verner Panton for Thonet, produced for only a very short period in the 1960s. This piece represents a unique collaboration betw...
Steel, Chrome
Walter Gropius, Armchairs, Oak, Velvet, USA, 1970s
By Walter Gropius, Thonet
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of oak and purple velvet armchairs designed by Walter Gropius in 1951, produced by Thonet, Statesville, North Carolina, USA, c. 1970s. Dimensions: 29.5” H x 24” W x 19” D Se...
Velvet, Oak
Set Of 8 Mid-Century Modern Dining Chairs By Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This set of eight mid-century modern, customized maple and leather dining chairs by Thonet feature a classic profile that epitomizes a timeless aesthetic. The design is characterized...
Leather, Maple
Set of 4 Gerd Lange 'Flex 2000' Chairs in Beech and Plastic for Thonet 1973
By Thonet, Gerd Lange
Located in Tilburg, NL
Set of 4 Gerd Lange 'Flex 2000' Chairs in Beech and Plastic for Thonet 1973. This is a set of highly sculptural and avant garde chairs by designer G...
Plastic, Beech
$687Sale Price|44% Off
Art Deco Thonet Bentwood Dining Chair w/ Bakelite Seat
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
This original Thonet bentwood armchair features a Bakelite seat and backrest. The chair's bentwood beech frame is elegantly curved, showcasing the transition between Art Deco and the...
Bakelite, Wood
Mid Century Thonet No 10 Bentwood and Cane Rocker w/ Rose Damask Velvet Cushions
By Thonet
Located in Germantown, MD
Mid-Century Thonet No 10 Bentwood and Cane Rocker with Rose Damask Velvet Cushions. Measures 20" in width, 43" in depth and 39" in height. Seat height is 18".
Velvet, Cane, Bentwood
$1,914Sale Price / set|20% Off
Thonet 79 model 207R "Long John" Dining Chairs, 1979
By Thonet
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Design model bentwood 207R "LONG JOHN" Dining Chair set of 5 by Thonet. Marked Thonet 79. Made in 1979. Bend beech wood with flower fabric. Chairs come with original limited ...
Fabric, Beech
Mid-Century Modern Pair of Black Thonet Bentwood and Vinyl Chairs
By Thonet
Located in Topeka, KS
Handsome pair of Thonet bentwood Mid-Century Modern chairs in black with black vinyl upholstery. They are in good vintage condition. The vin...
Faux Leather, Bentwood
$2,780 / set
Set of Chairs by Gerd Lange for Thonet
By Gerd Lange, Thonet
Located in Čelinac, BA
Set of four chairs by Gerd Lange for Thonet.
Metal
1970s, Beech Rocking Chair by Ton, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Very good original condition with minor signs of use. -Measures: Height of seat 42 cm.
Fabric, Wood
MCM Danish Bentwood Dining Chair, One Chair, 1960s (2 Available)
By Charles Eames, Thonet
Located in Basel, BS
Stunning very cool Thonet black and Walnut bentwood dining chair. Two available. These are very sturdy, iconic, comfortable dining chairs. They are also excellent options for use a...
Bentwood
Mid-Century Modern Set of 4 Thonet Bent Chairs made by ZPM Radomsko
By Thonet, ZPM Radomsko
Located in Prato, IT
This no.18 chair was designed by Gebrüder Thonet around 1875 and was one of the most popular chairs of Thonet. This set of 4 chairs was manufactured by ZPM Radomsko in the 1960s. The...
Rattan, Oak
Thonet swivel chair no.5541
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Thonet swivel chair no.5541 in original vintage condition with signs of use.
Beech, Bentwood
Walter Gropius, Armchairs, Oak, Velvet, USA, 1970s
By Walter Gropius, Thonet
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of oak and purple velvet armchairs designed by Walter Gropius in 1951, produced by Thonet, Statesville, North Carolina, USA, c. 1970s. Seats reupholstered in brand new velvet...
Velvet, Oak
S33 Chairs by Mart Stam for Thonet, 1980s, Set of 2
By Mart Stam, Thonet
Located in Radomsko, Województwo łódzkie
Introducing the iconic S33 Chair Set by Mart Stam, proudly crafted by Thonet. This collection, produced during the 1980s in Germany, pays homage to the timeless designs of the Bauhau...
Steel, Chrome
Pair of Bentwood High Back Dining Chairs by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Saarbruecken, DE
Pair of beech bentwood high back dining chairs. Signed by Thonet, 1987. Style Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau. New upholstery, same fabric, differe...
Bentwood
$1,946Sale Price / set|30% Off
Thonet Chrome Armchairs, 1960s
By Thonet
Located in Čelinac, BA
Thonet chrome armchairs, 1960s
Chrome
Very rare folding easy chair no.1 by Thonet
By Michael Thonet, Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Very rare folding easy chair no.1 by Thonet professionally stained and repolished with new handmade rattan seat.
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood
Antique Thonet Wood Chair, German Design, 36\" Diameter, Circa 1920
By Thonet
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
After Thonet chair, manufactured by unknown manufactured, circa 1920. In good original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preservi...
Wood
Bentwood piano chair by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Bentwood piano chair by Thonet, professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
Walter Gropius, Armchairs, Oak, Velvet, USA, 1970s
By Walter Gropius, Thonet
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of oak and purple velvet armchairs designed by Walter Gropius in 1951, produced by Thonet, Statesville, North Carolina, USA, c. 1970s. Dimensions: 29.5” H x 24” W x 19” D Se...
Velvet, Oak
1930s Marcel Breuer B34 Chair, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet, Marcel Breuer
Located in Praha, CZ
- Newly Chromed - New canvas - Originally painted wooden armrests with some signs of use - Manufacturer: Thonet (TON).
Chrome
1970s Marcel Breuer for Thonet Stool in Chrome and Off-White Fabric
By Thonet, Marcel Breuer
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Marcel Breuer Stool, originally designed for Thonet in the 1920s. This particular piece dates to the 1970s. The stool features Breuer's signature tubular chrome steel frame...
Steel
Original CM197 Armchair by Pierre Paulin for Thonet, France
By Pierre Paulin, Thonet
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Original CM197 armchair by Pierre Paulin. Designed for Thonet, France in 1958. Green vinyl upholstery in excellent original condition. Can be reupholstered easi...
Steel
$4,019Sale Price|20% Off
Siesta Medizinal N. 44 by Hans and Wassili Luckhardt for Thonet, 1930s
By Thonet
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Design Classic “Siesta Medizinal” by Hans and Wassili Luckhardt for Thonet Frankenberg with a height adjustable leather neck support as well as an adj...
Hardwood, Bentwood
Chair of the Rings by Martino Gamper for the Conran Shop/Thonet, 2008
By Thonet
Located in Uppsala, SE
This chair, along with two other models, was commissioned by The Conran Shop in 2008 to the designer Martino Gamper for The London Design Festival and for ...
Bentwood
Pierre Paulin pair of CM236 armchairs chrome satin wool velvet 1960
By Pierre Paulin, Thonet
Located in Paris, IDF
This beautiful pair of CM236 armchairs was designed in the 1960s by Pierre Paulin and produced by Thonet. The model fully embodies the formal research conducted by the French designe...
Chrome
Classic Bentwood Armchair with Original Plaid Oil Cloth by Thonet Brothers 1940
By Thonet
Located in Buffalo, NY
Classic bentwood armchair with original plaid oil cloth by Thonet brothers 1940s, extremely comfortable, chair in remarkable original condition, minor d...
Fabric, Plywood
1930 Pair of Armchairs + Spider Table, by Halabala for Thonet, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet, Jindřich Halabala
Located in Praha, CZ
- Good original condition - Table: 65 x 65 x 65 cm.
Fabric, Wood
$2,240Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Thonet Club Tub Chairs in Faux Crocodile
By Thonet, Anton Lorenz
Located in Dallas, TX
Showstopping pair of chrome cantilever “club tub” chairs recently reupholstered in faux white crocodile. Designed by Anton Lorenz & Joan Burgasser for Thonet, circa 1980s. Excellent ...
Chrome
Beech bentwood dining chair by Thonet Uzhhorod Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Beech bentwood dining chair by Thonet Uzhhorod Czechoslovakia. Professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
2x KS 46 Midcentury Sessel Thonet Anton Lorenz Leder schwarz
By Thonet, Anton Lorenz
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten zwei wunderschöne Vintage Freischwinger von Thonet zum Verkauf an. Der Entwurf stammt von Anton Lorenz aus dem Jahr 1932 und gilt dank seiner zeitlosen Formgebung als wahr...
Chrome, Steel
Secession Office Chair no.6528 by Marcel Kammerer for Thonet
By Thonet, Marcel Kammerer
Located in Toronto, CA
This bentwood armchair was crafted by Marcel Kammerer (1878 – 1959), a Viennese architect and designer who immigrated to Canada after World War II. The stained beech is mahogany-colo...
Wood, Fabric, Beech
Restored Art Deco Piano Swivel Stool, by Thonet, Beech, Polished, Czech, 1930s
By Thonet
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Highest height: 51 cm (20.1 in) Lowest height: 42 cm (16.5 in) Seat diameter: 42 cm (16.5 in) This piano stool is an elegant and functional accessory from the Czechoslovak Art Deco ...
Wood, Beech, Lacquer
Thonet Lounge Chairs by Peter Maly, Wood & Chrome, Germany, 1980
By Peter Maly, Thonet
Located in Ludwigslust, DE
A set of two exceptional Thonet lounge chairs in excellent condition. The combination of wood, chrome, and synthetic fabric, along with the dynamic lines, gives these chairs a timele...
Chrome
Office Swivel Chair, Thonet Nr.633
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Perfectly restored in the recent past, new shellac polish - high gloss. Beautiful and original surface treatment - "imitation oak wood", where imitation oak wood pores were carved in...
Beech, Bentwood
Émile Guillot - Thonet - Model B257 chrome bauhaus chair
By Emile Guillot, Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930s - marked by manufacturer - chrome in very good condition with patina - original screws - rare and early piece, collectible - original black colour - small hole on the seat jr
Steel, Chrome
Austrian wooden foldable Thonet armchair with Vienna straw, late 1800s
By Thonet
Located in MIlano, IT
Austrian wooden Thonet armchair with Vienna straw, late 1800s Armchair in wood and Vienna straw. The wooden structure has a round section and has rounded lines that form the elements...
Straw, Wood
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
Folding Chair, Thonet, 1920's
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- made in Czechoslovakia - made of wood - good, original condition.
Wood