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.
Bauhaus Style Ceramic & Opaline Glass Wall Sconce by Gunnar Nylund, 1960s
By Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Gunnar Nylund
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pale yellow ceramic wall sconce by Gunnar Nylund for IFÖ Electric "Lyx" Series. Design echoes the style of Wilhelm Wagenfeld. Light is produced in the 1960s with clear Bauhaus influ...
Ceramic, Opaline Glass
Series01 Upright Sconce, Smoke Acid Patinated Brass, Blush pink Leather Shade
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined brass in "Smoke" acid patinated finish, hand-dyed soft unstructured leather shade. All material finishes are living finishes: they will change and patina for the bette...
Brass
Series01 Small Sconce, Polished Unlacquered Brass, Ash Leather Shade, Pivoting
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined brass in polished unlacquered finish, hand-dyed soft unstructured leather pivoting shade. All material finishes are living finishes: they will change and patina for th...
Brass
Series01 Large Sconce, Dark Patinated Brass, Sable Brown Leather Pivoting Shade
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined brass in dark patinated finish, hand-dyed soft unstructured leather pivoting shade. All material finishes are living finishes: they will change and patina for the bett...
Brass
Series01 Upright Sconce, Nickel-Plated Brass, Graphite Gray Leather Shade
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined brass in polished nickel plated finish, hand-dyed soft unstructured leather shade. All material finishes are living finishes: they will change and patina for the bette...
Brass
$329Sale Price|20% Off
Bauhaus adjustable Chrome Wall Lamp, 1930s - Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930s, Czechoislovakia - original condition,refreshed,polished - US compatible - one bulb any wattage possible - adjustable chrome shade - newly wired - good original condition wit...
Chrome
Mercury Glass Wall Lights By Zeiss Ikon Circa 1930s
By Zeiss Ikon
Located in Gloucester, GB
Mercury Glass Wall Lights By Zeiss Ikon Circa 1930s - Original branded wall brackets - Mercury glass shades - Takes E27 fitting bulbs - Made by Zeiss Ikon, Jena - German ~ 1930s - 2...
Mercury Glass
Series01 Lg Sconce, Polished Unlacquered Brass, Gochu Red Leather Pivoting Shade
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined brass in polished unlacquered finish, hand-dyed soft unstructured leather pivoting shade. All material finishes are living finishes: they will change and patina for th...
Brass
Series02 Lg. Sconce, Polished Nickel Brass, Stitched Goatskin Parchment Shade
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined polished nickel plated brass, hand-stitched goatskin parchment shade. All material finishes are living finishes: they will change and patina for the better with time a...
Brass
Series01 Large Sconce, Dark Patinated Brass, Ash Leather Pivoting Shade
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined brass in dark patinated finish, hand-dyed soft unstructured leather pivoting shade. All material finishes are living finishes: they will cha...
Brass
Huge Adjustable Bauhaus Scissor Wall Lamp by Wilhelm Bäder Germany 1930s
Located in München, BY
Huge, articulated Bauhaus scissor wall lamp. Adjustable and extendable arm. Lamp shade adjustable in every position. Extendable between 15.75 – 55.12 in. (40 – 140 cm). A real work ...
Metal
Set of Two Unique Silver-Plated Brass Flush Mounts or Sconces Germany 1970s
By Carl J. Jucker, Wilhelm Wagenfeld
Located in München, BY
Exceptional, elegant and minimalistic Bauhaus ceiling lamps or sconces. These unique pieces are probably prototypes which never went in serial production. Designed and manufactured ...
Brass, Silver Plate
$329Sale Price|20% Off
Bauhaus Chrome and milk glass Wall Lamp, 1940s - Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930s, Czechoislovakia - original condition,refreshed,polished - US compatible - one bulb any wattage possible - newly wired - good original condition with patina jr
Chrome
$633Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Bauhaus Chrome Wall Lights by Napako, Czechoslovakia, 1940s
By Napako
Located in Praha, CZ
An exceptional pair of original Bauhaus wall lights produced by Napako in Czechoslovakia during the 1940s. These rare chrome-plated fixtures embody the clean geometry and refined pro...
Metal, Chrome
$504Sale Price|20% Off
XXL Bauhaus brass and glass Wall Lamp, 1930s - Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930s, Czechoislovakia - original condition,refreshed,polished - US compatible - 2 bulbs any wattage possible - newly wired - good original condition with patina jr
Brass
Series01 Lrg Sconce, Polished Unlacquered Brass, Charcoal Leather Pivoting Shade
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined brass in polished unlacquered finish, hand-dyed soft unstructured leather pivoting shade. All material finishes are living finishes: they wi...
Brass
$329Sale Price|20% Off
Bauhaus Chrome and glass Wall Lamp, 1930s - Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930s, Czechoislovakia - original condition,refreshed,polished - US compatible - one bulb any wattage possible - newly wired - good original condition with patina jr
Chrome
$329Sale Price|20% Off
Bauhaus Chrome and milk glass Wall Lamp, 1940s - Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930s, Czechoislovakia - original condition,refreshed,polished - US compatible - one bulb any wattage possible - newly wired - good original condition with patina jr
Chrome
Set of Two Rare Art Deco Bauhaus Bedside Sconces or Wall Lamps Germany 1950s
Located in München, BY
Set of two rare, elegant and minimalistic Bauhaus or Art Deco wall lights / sconces. Designed and manufactured in Germany, 1950s. Executed in brass and metal, each lamp needs 1 x st...
Metal, Brass
$358Sale Price|20% Off
1930s Bauhaus Chrome Wall Light with Cream Opaline Glass, Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
An elegant original Bauhaus wall light produced in Czechoslovakia during the 1930s. Featuring a refined chrome-plated metal structure paired with a cylindrical cream opaline glass di...
Metal, Chrome
Series01 Upright Sconce, Dark Patinated Brass, Lead Gray Leather Shade
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined brass in dark patinated finish, hand-dyed soft unstructured leather shade. All material finishes are living finishes: they will change and patina for the better with t...
Brass
Series02 Large Sconce, Dark Patinated Brass, Stitched Goatskin Parchment Shade
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined dark patinated brass, hand-stitched goatskin parchment shade. All material finishes are living finishes: they will change and patina for the better with time and use. ...
Brass
Series01 Upright Sconce, Polished Unlacquered Brass, Graphite Leather Shade
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined brass in polished unlacquered finish, hand-dyed soft unstructured leather shade. All material finishes are living finishes: they will change and patina for the better ...
Brass
German Designer, Wall Lights, Brass, Glass, Germany, 1930s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of brass and opaline glass wall lights designed and produced in Germany, c. 1930s. Overall Dimensions (inches): 16” H x 4” W x 9.5” D Back Plate Dimensions (Inches): 3.8...
Brass
Large Bauhaus wall lamp
Located in Purkersdorf, AT
Very large and heavy wall lamp in the Bauhaus style; made in the 1930s. Chrome-plated brass; 2 original E14 lamp sockets Rewired
Brass, Nickel
Bakelite Wall or Ceiling Industrial Lamp from 1940s
Located in Vienna, AT
Bakelite wall of ceiling industial or factory lamp from late 1940s. Up to 20 pieces available.
Bakelite, Glass
Kaiser Idell Bauhaus industrial scissor factory wall light by Christian Dell
Located in Bern, BE
Bauhaus industrial scissor factory wall light designed by Christian Dell. Produced by Kaiser Idell in Germany during the 1930s. Metal construction with black powder coated metal. The...
Metal
Bauhaus Wall Sconces, Dark Bronze & Bakelite, Austrian Design, 1940s
Located in New York, NY
Fantastic pair of Bauhaus influenced dark bronze sconces with articulating shades and amber bakelite detail on back plates. Sconces have a strong a...
Bronze
Series01 Small Sconce, Matte Blackened Brass, Ash Leather Shade, Pivoting shade
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined brass in matte blackened finish, hand-dyed soft unstructured leather pivoting shade. "Matte Blackened Brass" is a heavily textured, roughened finish with tool markings...
Brass
Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Wall Light, Brass, Germany, 1950s
By Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Peill & Putzler
Located in High Point, NC
A sizable wall light designed by Wilhelm Wagenfeld and produced by Peill & Putzler, Germany, c. 1950s. Overall Dimensions (Inches): 20” H x 6.6” W x 5.25“ D Back Plate Dimensions (...
Brass
Series02 Small Sconce, Polished Unlacquered Brass, Goatskin Parchment Shade
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined polished unlacquered brass, hand-stitched goatskin parchment shade. All material finishes are living finishes: they will change...
Brass
Vintage Industrial Adjustable Articulated Telescopic Task Lamp
Located in Niederdorfelden, Hessen
Vintage black industrial adjustable articulated telescopic task lamp made in Germany in the 1920s-1930s. Can be used as wall or table lamp. Wall arm measures max. 44.5" in. (113 c...
Metal, Steel
Bauhaus Nickel Wall Light with Plexiglass Plates, Hand-Crafted, 1930
By Bauhaus
Located in Antwerp, BE
Beautiful rare Bauhaus lamp, a heavy metal version in nickel with 5 plexi clear plates with white lines giving an abstract accent of a play of light,...
Chrome
Wall Light -LIAISON, Cast Bronze with Alabaster, Cinabre Gallery
By Thomas Mang
Located in PARIS, FR
Out of the intense dialogue between Thomas Mang Studio and Cinabre Gallery emerges a sculptural lighting piece that unites bronze artistry and holistic architectural thinking. Inspir...
Alabaster, Bronze
Pair Wilhelm Wagenfeld Bauhaus Glass Sconces, White, Lindner Germany 1950s
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Set of two original vintage wall sconces by German designer Wilhelm Wagenfeld. They were manufactured by Lindner Wandleuchten ca 1950s. This set, which is very suitable for a bathro...
Ceramic, Glass, Wood, Porcelain
Series01 Small Sconce, Dark Patinated Brass, Sable Brown Leather Shade, Pivoting
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined brass in dark patinated finish, hand-dyed soft unstructured leather pivoting shade. All material finishes are living finishes: they will change and patina for the bett...
Brass
$449Sale Price|20% Off
Rare Chrome Bauhaus Art Deco Wall Lamp Napako, 1940s
Located in Praha, CZ
- very nice style of lighting - rare type - adjustable - marked
Chrome
$238Sale Price|20% Off
1940s Bauhaus Wall Light by Napako, Czechoslovakia
By Napako
Located in Praha, CZ
- cleaned ,polished and rewired - 2x , E12/E14 bulb - US wiring compatible- signs of use
Chrome
5 William Lescaze, P.&S. 'Alabax' Porcelain Lighting Fixtures
Located in Sharon, CT
Rare classic of American Machine Age Modernism, designed by the important architect William Lescaze and manufactured as the 'Alabax' Porcelain Lighting Fixture by Pass and Seymour c...
Porcelain
German Designer, Wall Lights, Brass, Glass, Germany, 1920s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of brass and alabaster-imprinted opaline glass wall lights designed and produced in Germany, c. 1920s. Overall Dimensions (Inches): 12.5” H x 3.5” W x 3“ D Back Plate Dimens...
Brass
$3,040Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Austrian Bauhaus Silverplated Brass Frosted Glass Sconces
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Pair of Austrian Bauhaus Silverplated Brass Frosted Glass Sconces Austria, 20th Century Pair of Austrian Bauhaus Silverplated Brass Frosted Glass...
Brass
S01 Sm. Sconce, Polished Unlacquered Brass, Tennis Green Leather Shade, Pivoting
Located in Ozone Park, NY
Solid machined brass in polished unlacquered finish, hand-dyed soft unstructured leather pivoting shade. All material finishes are living finishes: they will change and patina for th...
Brass
Rare Megaphos Sistrah Wall Lamp By C.F Otto Mueller
By C.F. Otto Muller, Sistrah-Licht GmbH, Megaphos/Sistrah
Located in Vienna, AT
Rare wall lamp by Sistrah/Megaphos desiged in the 1930s by Otto Müller in Germany. Brass arm chrome-plated fitted with one E27 socket up to 60Watts (nowadays LED), milk glass shade.
Brass, Chrome
Set Of Four White Bakelite and Opal Glass Bo Niko Wall Lights 1930s
By Bo-Niko
Located in Antwerp, BE
Bo Niko Wall Light In Bakelite Holder, 1960s. White opal frosted conical glass lampshade. Perfect wall lamps for your bathroom or hallway. Bakelite E14 ...
Opaline Glass, Bakelite
Marianne Brandt Bauhaus Tastlicht Table Lamp, 1932
By Ruppelwerk, Marianne Brandt
Located in Munich, DE
Marianne Brandt Tastlicht’ table light, Germany 1932 Made by Ruppelwerk, Gotha. Sheet metal, varnished white, partially chrome-plated, white plastic, glass shade, eggshell white, ma...
Steel
Brass and Mahagony Wall Sconces by Eckart Muthesius for Tecnolumen, 1930s
Located in Rijssen, NL
A pair of halogen wall sconces by Eckhart Muthesius for Tecnolumen, Germany, Europe. Model WAD 37. Brass lighting with mahagony wood base. Eckart Muthesius was a renowned German arc...
Brass
$348Sale Price|20% Off
Chrome design Bauhaus Wall Lamp, 1930s - Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930s, Czechoislovakia - original condition with patina - US compatible - two bulbs any wattage possible jr
Chrome
$1,900 / set
Pair of Industrial Wall Lights, 1920
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Great pair of German indoor/outdoor industrial wall lights with bakelite housings, enameled metal shades and a metal cages enveloping glass domes, currently wired with external j-box...
Metal
$1,101Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of XXL design Bauhaus Wall Lamps, 1940s - Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930s, Czechoislovakia - original condition,refreshed - US compatible - two bulbs any wattage possible - milk glass tubular shades - newly wired jr
Wood, Milk Glass
$1,460Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of Unique Cubistic Brass Wall Lamps, 1920s
By Josef Gocar
Located in Praha, CZ
Very rare brass wall lamps come from house in cubistic style. Beautiful clean and simple rondocubist lines. Attributed to Josef Gočár, Polished, rewired. Original brass and ceramic s...
Brass
Bauhaus Bakelite Wall or Ceiling Industrial Lamp from 1940s
Located in Vienna, AT
Bakelite wall, ceiling Industrial or factory lamp from late 1940s. Bakelite frame with steel ring holding opaline glass shade. (The smallest one on the last pictures). Up to 20 pi...
Steel
$3,840Sale Price|20% Off
Adjustable 'Megaphos' Wall Applique by C.F Otto Mueller, Sistrah, Germany, 1930s
By C.F. Otto Muller, Megaphos/Sistrah
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
A rare Megaphos adjustable wall applique by C. F. Otto Meuller for Sistrah Licht GmbH Beautiful construction and functional Bauhaus wall applique This lamp features a left to right...
Brass, Nickel
$384Sale Price|20% Off
Chrome design Bauhaus Wall Lamp, 1930s - Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930s, Czechoislovakia - original condition with patina - US compatible - one bulb any wattage possible - newly wired jr
Chrome
$252Sale Price|20% Off
Bauhaus Wall Lamp with Adjustable Shade, Chrome Finish, 1930s Design
Located in Praha, CZ
A superb example of 20th-century industrial design, this Bauhaus wall lamp features a streamlined tubular silhouette in polished chrome. The centerpiece of the design is its adjustab...
Chrome
Brass and Opaline Glass Wall Light by Glashütte Limburg Germany 1980s
Located in München, BY
Elegant Mid Century Modern sconces or wall lamps. Designed and manufactured by Glashütte Limburg, Germany, 1980s. Executed in brass and opaline glass, the lamp needs two TC 11W. 220...
Brass
$458Sale Price|20% Off
XXL big Chrome design Bauhaus Wall Lamp, 1930s - Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930s, Czechoislovakia - very good original condition with patina - US compatible - two bulbs any wattage possible - small damage of glass,not proceeding and not seen - newly wired jr
Chrome
Brass design Bauhaus Wall Lamp, 1930s - Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930s, Czechoislovakia - original condition with patina jr
Brass
Bauhaus Porcelain Base and Glass Globe Wall/Ceiling Light, Germany, 1930s
Located in Almelo, NL
Bauhaus Porcelain Base and Glass Globe Wall/Ceiling Light, Germany, 1930s This original Bauhaus wall or ceiling light from 1930s Germany is a superb example of early modernist desig...
Porcelain, Glass
$358Sale Price|20% Off
Big Chrome milk glass Bauhaus / Functionalist Wall Lamp - 1930s
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930S, Czechoslovakia - polished, new electricity - patina(see the details) - US wiring compatible - one bulb any wattage - can be used bot vertically and horizontally on wall jr
Chrome
Bauhaus Porcelain Base and Opaline Glass Wall/Ceiling Light, Germany, 1930s
Located in Almelo, NL
Bauhaus Porcelain Base and Glass Globe Wall/Ceiling Light, Germany, 1930s This original Bauhaus-era light fixture from 1930s Germany embodies the core principles of modernist design...
Porcelain, Glass