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.
$1,295Sale Price|60% Off
Thonet S 60 Cantilever Black Leather Armchair by Glen Oliver Löw in STOCK
By Thonet
Located in New York, NY
The S 60 cantilevered seating range: The contemporary interpretation of a familiar typology – suitable for every need incontract and at home Reserved elegance combined with high seat...
Chrome
Original CM197 Armchair by Pierre Paulin for Thonet France
By Thonet, Pierre Paulin
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...
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
$1,225Sale Price|30% Off
Mid-Century Modern Thonet Lounge Slipper Chairs - a Pair
By Thonet
Located in Waxahachie, TX
D.O.B. October 8th 1964 Pair of Thonet lounge slipper chairs. Stunning chrome trim around the back. Ebonized wood base. Nailhead trim on back. Dark eggplant tinted grey tweed fabric ...
Upholstery
Dining Chair/Thonet, 1880s
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made in Wien - Made of bentwood, beechwood - Restored - Labeled - Good condition.
Beech, Bentwood
Chair Kohn Nr.321, since 1906, Thonet
By Jacob & Josef Kohn, Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Original state. Perfectly cleaned and re-polished with shelack finish. New upholstery surface on the original core.
Brass
Folding Chair, Thonet, 1920's
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- made in Czechoslovakia - made of wood - good, original condition.
Wood
$636Sale Price|20% Off
ZPM Radomsko for Thonet Bentwood Cafe Armchair
By ZPM Radomsko, Thonet
Located in Fort Collins, CO
Bentwood furniture came to prominence in the early 1900s, and was a staple in cafes and restaurants in Europe. This is a bentwood armchair, designed by ZPM Radomsko in Poland and pro...
Wood
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
Art Nouveau Seating Set by Otto Wagner for Thonet, 1910s
By Thonet, Otto Wagner
Located in Praha, CZ
Set of Thonet sofa type 6285 and two armchairs Thonet 6585. Rare type designed by Otto Wagner. Recently reupholstered. Shellac finish. Dimensions of a...
Upholstery, Beech
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
1930s Adolf Loos Office Chair Model 669 for Cafe Capua by Thonet
By Thonet, Adolf Loos
Located in Praha, CZ
- Carefully refurbished and finish by shellac. - Measures: height of the armrests are 71cm. - height of seat 44 cm.
Wood
Thonet - Michael Thonet - No. 511 - Armchair - Beech
By Michael Thonet, 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
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
Refurbished Thonet Chairs 320 by Wulf Schneider and Ulrich Bohme, Austria 1984
By Ulrich Bohme, Wulf Schneider, Thonet
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a set of 4 Thonet Dining Chairs Model S320, designed by by Wulf Schneider and Ulrich Bohme. Chairs are stackable. ...
Steel
$3,750 / set
Pair of 404 F chairs by Stefan Diez for Thonet
By Thonet, Stefan Diez
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of 404 F chairs by Stefan Diez for Thonet. Original labels. Stefan Diez, born in 1971 in Freising (Germany). After taking courses in architecture and training to be a carpent...
Bentwood
$3,956Sale 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
$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
R.C. Coquery French Art Deco Tubular Chrome Arm Chair
By R. C. Coquery, Thonet
Located in Queens, NY
French Art Deco tubular chrome arm chair with black leather upholstered seat and back cushion (designed by R.C. COQUERY for THONET, Model #B 256 lounge chair, 1929).
Chrome
$480Sale Price / item|20% Off
7 Thonet Bar Stools / Sold Singly/3 Remaining
By Thonet
Located in Sheffield, MA
An authentic collection of 3 of 7 still remaining iconic Thonet stools from the 1930s, marked on the underside with Thonet Logo and certificate. ...
Chrome
Easy armchair no.1 with rattan seat by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Rare easy armchair no.1 with rattan seat by Thonet in very nice original condition with signs of use.
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood
$2,000Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Retro Thonet Lounge Chairs
By Thonet
Located in Bronx, NY
The pair has the original vinyl, and the original finish. Sold as a pair only.Price is for the pair.
Wood, PVC
$5,298 / item
Very rare art deco armchairs Thonet A 60F
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Very rare Art Deco armchairs Thonet model A 60F, designed around 1929 at the beginning of the Bauhaus era. This model evokes the idea that it was originally designed using bent tubul...
Fabric, Beech, Bentwood
$941Sale Price / set|50% Off
4 Sedie Thonet originali anni '50
By Thonet
Located in Manzano, IT
4 Sedie Thonet originali anni '50 sono presenti lievi macchie sul tessuto della seduta (come in foto)
Fabric, Wood
1970s Pair of Beech Armchairs and Coffee Table by TON, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Good original condition with minor signs of use - table 50 x 60 X 60 cm
Upholstery, Wood
Pair of Thonet Bar Stools with Red Wooden Base and Black Seats, circa 1930s
By Thonet, Thonet
Located in Aramits, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
An authentic pair of Thonet stools from the 1930s, marked on the underside with Thonet Logo and certificate. Red painted wooden base with chrome foot support and black faux leather ...
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
Very rare jugendstil dining chair no.522 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Very rare jugendstil dining chair no.522 by Thonet in very nice original condition.
Beech, Bentwood
2x Armchairs Thonet Nr.562 by Gustav Siegel, table Thonet Nr.178
By Thonet, Gustav Siegel
Located in Praha, CZ
Wery good original condition with a pleasant patine of age. Museum-quality condition! Solid, can be used normally. The seating was designed by Arch. Gustav Siegel between 1926 and 19...
Bentwood
1970s Antonin Suman Chair by TON in Kirkby Fabric
By Thonet, Antonín Šuman
Located in Praha, CZ
- Carefully refurbished - Newly upholstered in Zinc luxury fabric :SOL silver grey
Fabric, Wood
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
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
$640Sale Price / item|20% Off
1 Mid Century Thonet Bentwood Dining Chair 12 available
By Thonet
Located in Pasadena, TX
One Thonet Bentwood Dining Chairs 1970s Rare oak bentwood dining chairs in a colorful upholstery. We have 12 available See similar chair in ...
Oak
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
1960s Pair of Ton/Thonet Beech Armchairs, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Wooden parts have been repolished. Seat Height 43cm.
Fabric, Wood
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
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
Bentwood Scroll Arm Chair
By Thonet
Located in Queens, NY
19th Century Bentwood arm chair with scroll design and black upholstered seat & back. (signed with THONET label)
Upholstery, Bentwood
1960 Set of 4 Design Retro Chair, Antonín Šuman for Ton, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet, Antonín Šuman
Located in Praha, CZ
- Design by Antonín Šuman, production by Ton Bystrice pod Hostýnem - Construction with bent beech wood and fabric upholstered seat - Original preserved condition - Measures: Heigh...
Fabric, Beech
Thonet Pair of Chairs in Cherry and Burgundy Upholstery
By Thonet
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Thonet, pair of chairs, cherry, fabric, Austria, 1950s This pair of chairs has a splendid construction that epitomizes a simplistic, natural and timeless aesthetics. The design is c...
Fabric, Cherry
Otto Wagner Jugendstil One Chair Beech Postal Saving Bank Vienna 1902 Thonet
By Otto Wagner, Thonet
Located in Vienna, AT
Jugendstil Otto Wagner One (1) Chair Side Chair Chocolate Brown Beech Postal Saving Bank Vienna - Oesterreichische Postsparkasse 1902 for Thonet 1904/1906 Vienna. An iconic chair or ...
Metal
1960s Set of Two Ton Armchairs, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Produced by Ton/Thonet Czechoslovakia - Good original condition with minor signs of wear - The wooden parts has been repolished - The fabric has been cleaned - High of seat 40 cm.
Fabric, Wood, Upholstery
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
Vintage Thonet Armchair, 1970s–1980s, Teak Wood Frame, Peach Fabric Upholstery
By Thonet
Located in Hannover, DE
Thonet Armchair, 1970s–1980s Only 1 available A beautiful vintage armchair attributed to Thonet, dating from the 1970s–1980s. The sturdy teakwood frame has been carefully restored a...
Teak
Art Deco Josef Frank Thonet Vintage Chocolate Brown Four Windsor Armchairs c1925
By Thonet, Josef Frank
Located in Vienna, AT
Art Deco vintage four ( 4 ) dining chairs or armchairs from chocolate brown stained beech, design attributed to Josef Frank executed by the company Thonet circa 1925 Austria. Labeled...
Beech
$3,296 / set
Secession tripod chairs no.81 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Secession tripod chairs no.81 by Thonet with new secession fabric.
Beech, Bentwood
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
Austrian post-modern chairs by Ernst W. Beranek for Thonet, 1990s
By Thonet
Located in MIlano, IT
Austrian post-modern chairs by Ernst W. Beranek for Thonet, 1990s Set of three chairs with square seat, padded and covered in black fabric with silver geometric pattern. Structure in...
Fabric, Wood
Swivel Office Chair Thonet Nr.352, since 1904
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Manufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet company. Newly restored, new shellack polish, minor repairs.
Beech, Bentwood
1960s Ton/Thonet Beech Armchair, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Newly upholstered - Carefully refurbished - The seat height is 39cm
Fabric, Wood, Upholstery, Beech
$1,000 / set
Set of Four Dining Chairs/ Thon 'Thonet', 1970s
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made in Czechoslovakia - Made of wood, fabric - New upholstery - Solid - Wooden parts has some signs use - Good, original condition.
Fabric, Wood
1980s Set of Four Dining Chairs by Ton, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- rare model - carefully refurbished - newly upholstered - heigh of seat 45 cm
Fabric, Wood
1980s Office Room Modul Set from Ton/Thonet, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Leather pillows with signs of use including holes - wooden parts in good original condition - Can be set up as 2-seat sofa and one chair or 3-seat sofa.
Leather, Wood
Secession dining chair no.437 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Secession dining chair no.437 by Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
1960s Ton/Thonet Beech Armchair, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Newly upholstered - Wooden parts have been repolished.
Fabric, Wood, Beech
Set of 3 Thonet Stackable Chairs – Vintage Conference or Dining Chairs, 2000s
By Thonet
Located in Hannover, DE
Set of 3 Thonet Stackable Chairs – Conference or Dining Chairs, 2000s Set of three Thonet stackable chairs, perfect for use in dining areas, of...
Metal
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
Midcentury Footstool / Thonet, 1970s
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made in Czechoslovakia - Made of wood, fabric - Original upholstery - Good, original condition.
Fabric, Wood
Set of Four '4' Slipper Chairs in Original Yellow Plaid Wool Fabric by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Deland, FL
Comfort. Vintage fabric. Captivating bentwood legs. These four slipper chairs are the perfect addition to any space needing a pop of color or a min...
Fabric
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