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.
$2,947Sale Price|35% Off
1920s German Bauhaus Daybed in Yellow with Reupholstered Cushion and Bolster
Located in Berlin, DE
An exceptional German Bauhaus daybed from the 1920s, showcasing the radical simplicity and geometric clarity characteristic of the movement. The frame, finished in a striking yellow ...
Fabric, Beech, Paint
Stylish Bauhaus daybed / Art Deco / Modernist by Schlaraffia Werke Husser & Co
By S.W. Farber
Located in Buffalo, NY
Stylish Bauhaus daybed / Art Deco / Modernist by Schlaraffia Werke Husser & Co.. Retains original spring cushions.original label,, dated 1937, Amazing design. Hand delivery avail to ...
Fabric, Wood
Charlotte Perriand, Chaise longue basculante, B306 Lounge Chair, France, 1930s
By Charlotte Perriand, Pierre Jeanneret, Le Corbusier
Located in New York, NY
This iconic model designed by the young Charlotte Perriand, together with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, was manufactured by Thonet-France from 1930 to 1937 and sold under the re...
Copper, Steel
Werner Max Moser Sofa for Wohnbedarf, Switzerland, 1930s
By Werner Max Moser, Wohnbedarf
Located in Milan, IT
Rare Architect Werner Max Moser sofa for Wohnbedarf, Switzerland, 1930s.
Metal
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe Bauhaus Coffee Leather Barcelona Daybed for Knoll
By Knoll, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Vicenza, IT
Barcelona daybed, designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe in 1929 and manufactured by Knoll International. The Barcelona chair epitomizes functional minimalism, initially crafted in 19...
Chrome
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe Bauhaus White Leather Barcelona Daybed for Knoll
By Knoll, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Vicenza, IT
Barcelona daybed, designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe in 1929 and manufactured by Knoll International. Made of chromed steel and leather. Fully restored in Italy. The Barcelona cha...
Chrome
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe Bauhaus Brown Leather Barcelona Daybed for Knoll
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Knoll
Located in Vicenza, IT
Barcelona daybed, designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe in 1929 and manufactured by Knoll International. Made of chromed steel and coffee brown leather. Fully restored in Italy. The ...
Chrome
ClassiCon Eileen Gray Daybed Original Vintage Day Bed
By Eileen Gray
Located in Munich, Bavaria
Vintage daybed with the name Day Bed by Eileen Gray. Manufactured by Classicon. Classic all time piece of furniture by the original producer. Black leather and chrome tubular steel ...
Steel, Chrome
Bauhaus Tubular Steel Couch / Daybed by Rudolf Slezák, Czechoslovakia, ca. 1934
Located in Berlin, DE
This Bauhaus tubular steel couch was produced circa 1934 by the Czechoslovak manufacturer Rudolf Slezák as a company design. The piece reflects the functional and reduced design prin...
Steel, Chrome, Iron
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe Bauhaus Red Barcelona Lounge Chair for Knoll, 1972
By Knoll, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Vicenza, IT
Barcelona lounge chair, designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe in 1929 and manufactured by Knoll International in 1972. Made of chromed steel and leather. Excellent vintage condition. ...
Chrome
1930s Bauhaus Multifunctional Daybed, Robert Slezák, Tubular Steel, Storage Unit
Located in Berlin, DE
This multifunctional daybed was manufactured by Robert Slezák in the 1930s and is a fine example of Bauhaus-era tubular steel furniture. Designed to function as both a sofa and a day...
Steel, Chrome
$2,399Sale Price|20% Off
Mies Van der Rohe style Black green Daybed, Mid-century
Located in Valladolid, ES
Extraordinary daybed following the lines of the Modern Movement of the mid-twentieth century, with Mies van der Rohe being one of the greatest representatives. It has a very light me...
Wrought Iron
De Sede Ds 76 Echtledersofa Schwarz Schlafsofa Zweisitzer
By De Sede
Located in Garching a. d. Alz, DE
De Sede ds 76 Modularsofa #r 2 Module Die Sitzflächen wurden neubezogen. Die zwei Module haben unterschiedlichen Innenstoff, stört aber nicht im ge...
Leather
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe Red Barcelona Lounge Chair for Knoll, 1972, Set of 2
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Knoll
Located in Vicenza, IT
Set of 2 Barcelona lounge chair, designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe in 1929 and manufactured by Knoll International in 1972. Made of chromed steel and leather. Excellent vintage co...
Chrome
Venfield Modern Sofa /Daybed
By Venfield
Located in New York, NY
Stylish Modern sofa with 6 back pillows and low, wide arms. This sofa's deep single seat cushion is perfectly sized to serve as a daybed or single bed for ...
Steel
$10,975 / item
H 29.53 in W 58.67 in D 25.6 in
Charlotte Perriand Tokyo Chaise Longue for Cassina, Italy, new
By Cassina, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Berlin, DE
Prices vary dependent on the chosen material. Chaise Longue designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1940. Relaunched by Cassina in 2011. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Also available w...
Bamboo, Teak
Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno 'D70' Sofa in Red Upholstery
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, sofa or daybed, model D70, steel, brass, fabric, Italy, 1954. Osvaldo Borsanis sofa 'D70' was presented at the Triennale of Milan in 1954 where it won the Gold Medal for design. Not only the design is extraordinary, because so is the technology. With a single twist the back and seating are positioned upwards or down, all to create the highest comfort for the sofa or daybed. This eccentric sofa...
Brass, Steel
$3,900
H 16.15 in W 78.75 in D 47.25 in
Danish Modern Daybed, Reupholstered, Made in Pine, by Nyt i Bo, 1970s
Located in Odense, DK
A large Danish mid century daybed in solid pine, reupholstered in grey wool. Made by a Danish company "Nyt i Bo" in 1970s. This daybed can also be used as ...
Wool, Pine
$17,992
H 14.57 in W 75.79 in D 32.68 in
Vintage Daybed by Christian Durupt, Pine, French Modernist, 1960s
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
Vintage Daybed by Christian Durupt, 1960s – French Modernist Design, Collaboration with Charlotte Perriand This is a vintage daybed crafted in the 1960s by the skilled French furnit...
Pine
Le Corbusier for Cassina Lc4 Chaise Lounge in Pony Hide
By Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier
Located in Seattle, WA
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, or simply Le Corbusier (1887-1965), was a rock star. Alongside Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier was one of the leading architects o...
Steel
$14,873
H 27.56 in W 94.49 in D 39.38 in
Alessandro Becchi Grey Leather “Anfibio” Three Seater Sofa for Giovannetti, 1972
By Giovannetti, Alessandro Becchi
Located in Vicenza, IT
Anfibio sofa-bed by Alessandro Becchi for Giovannetti, 1972. Fully restored and upholstered with high-quality grey Italian natural leather. Mattress upholstered with soft sheepskin wool. The Anfibio sofa ranks among the most outstanding cult products of Italian design. It is innovative, original, and highly functional; it is a revolutionary sofa-bed, a symbol of high quality and sapient artisanry. It is possible to find it in the permanent collection of 13 museums worldwide, among which the MoMa in New York, since 1972. Alessandro Becchi designed the “Anfibio” sofa for the Italian manufacturer Giovannetti in 1970. It is characterized by generous dimensions and soft, embracing shapes that invite relaxation and comfort. It reminds a floating dinghy thanks to its lack of rigid mechanism. This feature inspired its name, which means amphibious. Furthermore, the sofa presents a rectangular steel structure and padding in non-deformable high-density polyurethane, covered with acrylic thermo-welded fibers and protective fabric. The Anfibio sofa by Giovannetti is available covered in leather or fabric and several colors. This artwork is the ideal convertible solution, the perfect combination of aesthetic research and innovative household living. Alessandro Becchi was born in Florence in 1946. He studied at ISIA in his hometown, and in the late 60s, he began his career as a designer. In 1970 he designed the revolutionary Anfibio sofa for Giovannetti. In 1972, thanks to the success of Anfibio, he was invited to the exhibition “Italy: the New Domestic Landscape” at the Museum of Modern Arts in New York. This date opens in close collaboration with Giovannetti. He designed a series of sofa-beds, such as Only You, Brando, Diletto, and the famous armchairs Le Bugie...
Cotton, Foam, Leather, Sheepskin
Upholstered Daybed Chaise Longues
Located in Sheffield, MA
Graceful and inviting, the recamier chaise with arched back and rolled arm. The fainting couch is upholstered but it does show some ware. Although made in the Victorian period, it ...
Upholstery
$2,800
H 18.12 in W 74.02 in D 33.08 in
Art Deco Daybed, Reupholstered in Vintage Fabric, Danish Cabinetmaker, 1940s
By Josef Frank
Located in Odense, DK
Rare Art Deco daybed / sofa, reupholstered in colorful vintage gobelin fabric from the 80s. Made by a Danish Cabinetmaker in 1940s. This beautiful vi...
Fabric, Oak
Dutch 'Backbone' Chaise Longue in Teak
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Chaise lounge, teak, aluminium and fabric, The Netherlands, 1990s. This exceptional Dutch chaise longue features a seating area crafted from teak...
Steel
Italian Art Deco Daybed in Walnut
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Daybed or bed, walnut, sheepskin, Italy, 1940s This daybed evokes the stylistic hallmarks of the Art Deco movement of the 1940s. Its design embraces a sense of unity and purity thro...
Sheepskin, Walnut
Zen Japanese Oak Daybed with Woven Wool Cover and Shearling Cushions
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This Japanese daybed exemplifies minimalist elegance with clean lines, a low profile, and warm natural wood tones. Its understated design blends effortlessly into both modern and tra...
Limestone
Sold
H 14.97 in W 78.75 in D 31.11 in
HORST BRÜNING FOR KILL INTERNATIONAL „6915“ DAYBED LEATHER STEEL, GERMANY 1960s
By Horst Bruning, Kill International
Located in Reutlingen, DE
Daybed model 6915, designed by Horst Brüning for the legendary German manufacturer Kill International in the 1960s. The construction combines a clear, minimalist form with high-quali...
Steel
Sold
H 29.53 in W 76.78 in D 37.41 in
De Sede ds 76 Zweisitzer Modularsofa Designersofa Ledersofa Wk Wohnen braun
By De Sede
Located in Garching a. d. Alz, DE
De Sede ds 76 Modularsofa 2 Module Top Zustand!!! Gebrauchsspuren in Form von welligem Leder Kann problemlos zu einem Gästebett umgewandelt werden Keine Haustiere Nichtra...
Leather
Sold
H 25.6 in W 37.8 in D 77.96 in
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe Bauhaus Coffee Leather Barcelona Daybed for Knoll, 1970
By Knoll, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Vicenza, IT
Barcelona daybed, designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe in 1929 and manufactured by Knoll International in 1972. Made of chromed steel and leather. Excellent vintage condition. The B...
Chrome
Sold
H 25.6 in W 37.8 in D 77.96 in
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe Bauhaus White Leather Barcelona Daybed for Knoll, 1970s
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Knoll
Located in Vicenza, IT
Barcelona daybed, designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe in 1929 and manufactured by Knoll International in 1972. Made of chromed steel and leather. Excellent vintage condition. The B...
Chrome
Sold
H 33 in W 33 in D 63 in
Lc4 Chaise Lounge Canvas & Leather, Charlotte Perriand & Le Corbusier, Cassina
By Cassina, Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand Cassina
Located in St. Louis, MO
Designed by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand for Cassina. This LC4 has a rich uncommon color combination in tear-resistant Ecru Canvas and Tobacco leather, this ...
Chrome, Steel
1930s Bauhaus Tubular Bed, Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- Chrome parts with signs of use - Wooden parts newly painted - 88 cm and 185 cm mattress space - It will be dismantled for transport
Chrome
Sold
H 12.6 in W 83.86 in D 40.16 in
Danish Modern, Minimalist Daybed Reupholstered in Vintage Fabric, Made in 1980s
Located in Odense, DK
A playful minimalist daybed / sofa with two pillows, reupholstered in colorful vintage gobelin fabric from the 80s. Made by a Danish Cabinetmaker in the 1980s. This beautiful vintage daybed will complement many interior styles. A modern, Scandinavian or an Art Deco home decor.
Fabric, Beech
Sold
H 27.17 in W 63 in D 22.21 in
Vintage Cream Leather Corbusier and Perriand LC4 Chaise Longue for Cassina
By Cassina, Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand Cassina
Located in Highclere, Newbury
An original vintage LC4 Chaise Longue manufactured by Cassina using a tubular chrome frame and black metal base with cream leather upholstery and headrest...
Steel, Chrome
Le Corbusier LC4 Gray and Black Leather Chaise Lounge for Cassina
By Cassina, Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand Cassina
Located in Miami, FL
Gray leather LC4 chaise lounge with black leather bolster pillow on tubular chrome and black steel base by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand for Cassina. Signed a...
Steel, Chrome
Bauhaus Daybed in Bent Chrome, Czechoslovakia 1940s
Located in Zohor, SK
Beautiful, original daybed, or a bed from Czechoslovakia. Produced in a Bauhaus era of 1940s in an elegant chrome metal pipes. The frame has elegantly desi...
Chrome
Unusual Tubular Chrome and Leather Bauhaus Chaise Lounge / Daybed
By PEL
Located in Buffalo, NY
Most Unusual Tubular chrome and Leather Bauhaus chaise lounge / daybed, amazing design, two large attached Bolster Pillows (arm and back res...
Chrome
1930s Bauhaus Tubular Bed, Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- Chrome plated parts with signs of use - Oak veneered wooden parts - Two pieces available.
Chrome