The Bauhaus was a progressive German art and design school founded by the architect Walter Gropius that operated from 1919 to 1933. Authentic Bauhaus furniture — sofas, dining chairs, tables and more — and the school’s followers married industrial and natural materials in simple, geometric forms. The goal of the Bauhaus was to erase the distinction between art and craft while embracing the use of new technologies and materials.
ORIGINS OF BAUHAUS FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF BAUHAUS FURNITURE DESIGN
BAUHAUS FURNITURE DESIGNERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
AUTHENTIC BAUHAUS FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The name Bauhaus is derived from the German verb bauen, “to build.” Under the school’s innovative curriculum, students were taught the fine arts, such as painting and sculpture, as well as practical skills like carpentry and metalworking.
The school moved from Weimar in 1925 to the city of Dessau, where it enjoyed its heyday under Gropius, then Hannes Meyer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The period from 1932 to 1933 when it operated in Berlin under Mies was its final chapter. Despite its brief existence, the Bauhaus has had an enduring impact on art and design in the United States and elsewhere, and is regarded by many as the 20th century’s chief crucible of modernism.
The faculty roster at the Bauhaus reads like a who’s who of modernist creative genius — it included such artists as Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky and László Moholy-Nagy along with architects and designers like Mies and Marcel Breuer, who became known for his muscular brutalist-style concrete buildings in the postwar years. In 1925, while he was head of the Bauhaus carpentry workshop, Breuer gave form to his signature innovation: the use of lightweight tubular-steel frames for chairs, side tables and sofas — a technique soon adopted by Mies and others. Breuer’s Cesca chair was the first-ever tubular steel frame chair with a caned seat to be mass produced, while the inspiration for his legendary Wassily chair, a timeless design and part of the collection crafted to furnish the Dessau school, was the bike he rode around campus.
Bauhaus design style reflects the tenets by which these creators worked: simplicity, clarity and function. They disdained superfluous ornament in favor of precise construction. Seating pieces such as side chairs, armchairs or club chairs for example, were made with tubular metal or molded plywood frames, and upholstery was made from leather or cane. Above all, designs in the Bauhaus style offer aesthetic flexibility. They can be the elements of a wholly spare, minimalist space, the quiet foundation of an environment in which color and pattern come from one’s own collection of art and artifacts.
Today, from textiles to typefaces, architecture, furniture and decorative objects for the home, Bauhaus creations continue to have an outsize influence on modern design.
Find a collection of authentic Bauhaus furniture on 1stDibs.
1930s Bauhaus Era Solid Brass Garden Water Tap's - Faucet ´s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A set of 2 large solid brass water faucets. Both tested and in working order and both come with original hose connectors. Made in Europe, probably Scandinavian/Sweden during the 1930...
Brass
Bauhaus Style Bank Door or Gate Handles in Bronze, 1930s, Set of 4
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Two sets of patinated bronze gate or push/slide-door handles that was salvaged from a Danish Bank called Andelsbanken during the 1930s. The two sets are suitable for both in- or outd...
Bronze
4x Tubular Frame and Slatwood Stackable Garden Chairs, 1930's
By Eileen Gray, Marcel Breuer, Le Corbusier
Located in Den Haag, NL
Tubular frame and slatwood stackable garden chairs, 1930's We have 4 pieces available.
Steel
1930s Bauhaus Era Solid Brass Water Tap's - Faucet ´s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A set of 2 solid brass water faucets. Both tested and in working order. Made in Europe, probably Scandinavian/Sweden during the 1930s. Your 1930s Bauhaus, Art Deco or Funkis House de...
Brass
Bauhaus Chrome & Glass Gyroscopic Fireplace Screen
Located in Hanover, MA
Incredibly well preserved Bauhaus fireplace screen pivoting within its U-shaped stand in chromed steel and safety glass with playful gyroscopic rings, like a kinetic sculpture. Note ...
Chrome
$269Sale Price|34% Off
Bauhaus Era Door Handle Set in Bronze and Brass, 1930s, 1 Set
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Door Handle in brass and bronze. The solid brass spindles are thick and rounded of softly due to excessive use over the years. Suitable for your office, Conservatory, Atrium etc. It ...
Brass, Bronze
1930s Bauhaus Era Solid Brass Water Tap's - Faucet ´s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A set of 2 solid brass water faucets. Both tested and in working order and both come with original hose connectors. Made in Europe, probably Scandinavian/Sweden during the 1930s. You...
Brass
Tubular chrome Bauhaus flower stand - 1940s
Located in Praha, CZ
- wooden parts restored - polished jr
Aluminum
Rare Bauhaus, Art Deco, Functionalism Chrome Window Pelmet or Console, 1930s
Located in Praha, CZ
- very rare type - practical - perfect original condition - coming from villa in Prag - custom-made
Chrome
$1,671Sale Price|20% Off
Chrome Etagere with Coral, Yellow and Red Painted Shelves in Bauhaus Style
Located in Vienna, Austria
Lovely chrome flowers étagère from 1930s, produce in Czechoslovakia. The shelves are in original colours, the applications technique is "Schleiflack" (...
Chrome
Mid Century Cast Aluminium Garden Chair
Located in Hastings, GB
Great looking garden or Orangery chair, cast in aluminium and painted in Emerald green. English circa 1950. Height 82cm x Width 60cm x Depth 67cm Seat Height 45cm
Aluminum
Tubular chrome Bauhaus flower stand - 1940s
Located in Praha, CZ
- wooden parts restored - polished jr
Aluminum
Bauhaus Style Macassar Ebony Pedestal
Located in Houston, TX
1940s Iconic Bauhaus style Macassar pedestal with ball detail.
Wood, Macassar
Scandinavian Bauhaus State Building Door Handles in Brass, 1930s, 8 Sets
Located in Esbjerg, DK
8 Door handle sets with lock/key covers in patinated metal/brass. The solid brass spindles are patinated differently and rounded of softly due to excessive use over the years. Suitab...
Metal, Brass, Bronze
Czech Bauhaus Chrome Flower Stand Made Out of Oak, Lacquered, 1930s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This flower stand with a frame of bent steel tube and lacquered oak shelves, was made in the 1930s in the Czech Republic. Original chromium plating in perfect original condition. ...
Chrome
Cubist Terrazzo Concrete Sculpture, Abstract Female Form, Circa 1970s
By Henry Moore, Constantin Brancusi 2, David Marshall, Amedeo Modigliani, Brancusi
Located in Round Top, TX
Striking one-of-a-kind cast concrete sculpture in a terrazzo finish, featuring an abstracted Cubist female form. The faceted surface and stylized geometry reference both Brutalism an...
Concrete, Composition
Scandinavian Bauhaus State Building Door Handles in Brass, 1930s, 6 Sets
Located in Esbjerg, DK
6 Door handle sets with lock/key covers in patinated metal/brass. The solid brass spindles are patinated differently and rounded of softly due to excessive use over the years. Suitab...
Metal, Brass, Bronze
Bauhaus Era Brass Door Handles, 1930s, Set of 2
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A set of two door handle sets with oval lock/key covers in patinated brass (photo 1 and 2 of each set). The solid brass spindles are thick and rounded of softly due to excessive use ...
Brass
Aesthetically Perfect 1920s Art Deco Opaline Glass Pendant Light with Metal Rod
Located in Lisse, NL
Large size 1920s Bauhaus style fixture with original rod and canopy. This stunning and extremely rare design opaline glass pendant is in excellent condition. If we were in the busin...
Metal
Set of Two Functionalism, Art Deco Chrome Towel Holders, 1930s
Located in Praha, CZ
- very rare type - practical
Chrome
Bauhaus Chrome Window Pelmet or Console, 1930
Located in Praha, CZ
- Good original condition, - 1930s - Coming from villa in Prag.
Brass, Chrome
$1,050Sale Price / set|20% Off
Bauhaus Chrome Window Pelmets or Consoles
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930s - Good original condition - Coming from villa in Prag.
Brass, Chrome
Unusual Czech Oak Bauhaus Style Chrome Étagère, Flower Stand, Kovona, 1930s
Restored Bauhaus Flower Pedestal, by Robert Slezák, Chrome, Steel, Czech, 1930s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Made by Slezak Factories, a unique Czech furniture brand specialising on chrome and bent metal furniture. It has been re-polished with polyutherane piano lacquer by our professional...
Chrome, Steel
Czech Bauhaus Chrome Flower Stand Made Out of Chrome Plated Steel, 1950s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This flower stand with a frame of bent steel tube and plastic flower pots, was made in the 1950s in the Czech Republic. Original chromium plating in...
Chrome
Bauhaus Chrome Window Pelmet or Console, 1930/Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930s - Good original condition with patina, polished - Coming from villa in Prag.
Brass, Chrome
Bauhaus Style Small Table, Chrome-Plated Steel, Czechia, 1930s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Bauhaus style small table. Period: 1930-1939 Source: Czechia Material: Chrome-Plated steel Professionally cleaned chrome.
Chrome, Steel
Pair of Bauhaus Étagères by Robert Slezák and Arnošt Beck, Birch Wood, 1930s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Source: Czechia Period: 1930-1939 Maker: Robert Slezák Architect: Arnošt Beck This item features classic Bauhaus design elements. Elements of this style are neutral colors and occas...
Chrome, Steel
Czech Brown Bauhaus Chrome Flower Stand by Mücke, Melder, Zebrano Wood, 1930s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This étagère, with a chrome-plated steel tube and Zebrano wood shelves, was made in the 1930s in the Czech Republic. Original chromium plating in a very nice original condition. S...
Chrome
Italian 1950s Brass Door Handles
Located in Milan, IT
Splendid brass door handle in concave round form Measuring diameter 9.8 x 11.2 total of the two handles
Brass
Large Group of Deco Chrome Door Handles, Italy, 1930s
Located in Milan, IT
Large group of chrome door handles Compact and sleek shape, each set is composed by 2 hand knobs and two key rosettes. 26 sets available - sold as single set
Chrome
Italian Brass Door Handles 1950s
Located in CA, CA
A pair of Italian 1950s brass door handles with a textured hand hammered finish forming a v-shape.
Brass
Art Deco Entrance Double Doors, 1930s
Located in Praha, CZ
Beautiful custom made Art Deco entrance doors from 1930s Including original aluminum seals. Original glass.
Glass, Oak
1930s Corrugated Fire Resistant Clear Chicken Wire Glass
Located in New York, NY
Priced per square foot. Reclaimed from old warehouses and industrial buildings, this corrugated industrial glass was used as exterior awnings or part...
Glass
19th Century French Fireplace Screen
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
19th century French fireplace screen. Napoleon III Period. The screen has some minor perfections but is still in good condition.
Brass, Iron
Glass and Brass Fireplace Screen
Located in Antwerp, BE
An incredible fire screen of functional art made of green edge glass with brass hinges and feet, circa 1900-1930. The fire grate is not included in the price.
Brass
Vintage Boho Wrought Iron Fireplace Screen
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This vintage fireplace screen offers a streamlined, minimalist approach to hearth accessories, perfectly suited for contemporary or transition...
Brass, Wrought Iron
Brass and Grilling Fireplace Screen
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This fireplace screen is made of brass and grilling. This is a French work. Circa 1970.
Brass
$12,895 / set
H 32.29 in W 18.31 in D 23.23 in
Mid-Century Modern White Metal Vintage Garden Chairs Auersperg by Sonett
Located in Vienna, AT
Mid Century Modern set of 8 white elegant metal armchairs designed by J.O.Wladar & V. Mödlhammer Vienna circa 1955 for Sonett Karl Fostel´s Sen. Erben. Also the garden chairs...
Metal
French Directoire Style Fireplace Screen
Located in Westwood, NJ
A French Directoire style dark grey iron paneled fireplace screen with X frame panels centered with gold rosettes and raised on paw feet. Dimensions 38" W x 9" D x 30" H.
Iron
A pair of bronze panels / gates from a bank C 1910.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Pair bronze panels from a bank C 1910. Would make a great entry for your home or wine cellar. Each gate / panel / door comprised of 9 turned bars within a picture rail style frame.
Bronze
Antique German Padlock in Brass & Iron, 1920s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A 1920s original padlock with key. Made from steel and brass and made in Germany pre-war during the 1920s. Its works fine and is mechanically sound. Measurements: 8x5.5x2.5 cm.
Brass, Iron
Old German Tri-lock Padlock in Patinated Brass, 1940s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A 1940s original Trilock padlock with its two original keys. Made from brass and made in West Germany during the late 1940s. Its works fine and is mechanically sound. A Bauhaus inspi...
Brass
1930s Yale Padlock in Brass & Bronze
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A 1930s original Yale padlock with its two original keys. Made from brass and bronze with logo on both sides. Cast and made in the US. Built as a tank and featuring a great undisturb...
Brass
Bauhaus Era Brass Door Handle set, 1930s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Door handle set with lock/key covers in patinated brass and featuring keyhole covers. The solid brass spindles are thick and rounded of softly due to excessive use over the years. Su...
Brass
Sold
H 35.44 in W 39.38 in D 15.75 in
Restored Bauhaus Étagère, by Thonet, Chrome-Plated Steel, Germany, 1920s
By Thonet
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Made by influential Austrian furniture manufacturer Thonet. Original paint colors. It has been re-polished with polyutherane piano lacquer by our professional refurbishing team in ...
Chrome, Steel
Sold
H 0.75 in W 7.01 in D 4.49 in
Set of 14 Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer door handles, Bauhaus ca. 1922
By Walter Gropius, Adolf Meyer
Located in Copenhagen, DK
WALTER GROPIUS & ADOLF MEYER - MID-CENTURY MODERN DESIGN An extraordinary set of fourteen door handles with lock plates. Designed ca. 19...
Steel
Frank Lloyd Wright Style Geometric Stained Glass Window
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
Bauhaus style abstract geometric patterned stained glass window reminiscent of 'The Playhouse' which was an addition done by Frank Lloyd Wright on the Avery Coonley estate, in Rivers...
Stained Glass
Bauhaus Tubular Chrome Etageres x2
Located in Hanover, MA
We currently have two of these tall and slender Bauhaus etageres or display stands made of chromed tubular steel uprights supporting three graduated eb...
Steel, Chrome
Tubular Chrome and Caned 3 Panel Screen in Marcel Breuer-Style
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Circa 1950, we offer this Marcel Breuer-style tubular chrome and caned 3 panel screen. Beautiful vintage room divider in great vintage condition!
Cane
Sold
H 28 in Dm 10.5 in
Early 1900s Rare Art Deco Pendant / Light with Opaline Glass Shade & Brass Chain
Located in Lisse, NL
Highly stylish glass-art pendant light with stunning chain. This unique and stunning 1920s Art Deco pendant is of museum quality and condition. The combination of the beautifully d...
Brass
Sold
H 34 in W 64 in D 28.5 in
Midcentury Sculptural Italian Modern Cane and Bamboo Chaise Lounge Patio Chair
Located in Dayton, OH
Mid-Century Modern Bauhaus Italian cane and bamboo chaise lounge chair. The perfect fit to a Minimalist or boho chic inspired space.
Bamboo, Cane
Sold
H 60.24 in W 21.66 in D 21.66 in
German Bauhaus Nickel Flower Stand, Original Condition, Unusual Design, 1920s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Source: Germany Period: 1920-1929 Material: Nickel Original well preserved condition Unusual design.
Nickel