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Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

BAUHAUS STYLE

The Bauhaus was a progressive German art and design school founded by the architect Walter Gropius that operated from 1919 to 1933. Authentic Bauhaus furnituresofas, 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

  • Emphasis on craft
  • Simplicity, order, clarity and a prioritization of functionalism
  • Incorporation of geometric shapes
  • Minimalist and refined, little to no ornamentation
  • Use of industrial materials such as tubular chrome, steel and plastic as well as leather, cane and molded plywood in furniture and other products

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.

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Style: Bauhaus
Number in Set: Set of 8
1 of 12 Vintage Cesca Mid-Century Cantilever Chair, Marcel Breuer B32 Design
Located in Zagreb, HR
The Bauhaus classic tubular chrome steel cantilever chairs, model B32 or popularly known as Cesca, designed by Marcel Breuer. Unknown Italian production, circa 2000-2003. Not a Knol...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Set 8 Josef Hoffmann for Stendig Dining Chairs, Bentwood Prague Model 811
Located in Buffalo, NY
Set 8 Josef Hoffmann for Stendig Dining Chairs, Bentwood Prague Model 811,,, Nice set consisting of 4 armchairs and 4 side chairs,, 3 of the armchairs have newer caned seats,,(can be...
Category

1960s Czech Vintage Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Cane, Bentwood

Bauhaus Design Chrome Tubular Steel and Brown Faux Leather Dining Chairs, 1980s
Located in Zagreb, HR
Italian modernist, Bauhaus design tubular chrome and brown faux leather stackable dining or living room chairs. Italian design of the 1980s. Price is per piece. 25 pieces available...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Steel, Chrome

8 Armless Bauhaus Beech Bentwood Hoffman Prague 811 Dining Chairs Style Thonet
Located in Topeka, KS
Wonderful vintage Bauhaus beech bentwood frame Thonet Josef Hoffman Prague 811 style armless side dining chairs by Falcon Products Inc., set of 8. Beautiful condition, keeping in min...
Category

Late 20th Century Macedonian Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Beech, Bentwood

Armed Bauhaus Beech Bentwood J Hoffman Prague 811 Dining Chairs Style Thonet
Located in Topeka, KS
Wonderful vintage Bauhaus beech bentwood frame Thonet Josef Hoffman Prague 811 style armed dining chairs by Falcon Products Inc. We have 33 and we...
Category

Late 20th Century Macedonian Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Beech, Bentwood

4 Armless Bauhaus Beech Bentwood Hoffman Prague 811 Dining Chairs Style Thonet
Located in Topeka, KS
Wonderful vintage Bauhaus beech bentwood frame Thonet Josef Hoffman Prague 811 style armless side dining chairs by Falcon Products Inc., set of 4. Beautiful condition, keeping in min...
Category

Late 20th Century Macedonian Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Beech, Bentwood

8 Armed Bauhaus Beech Bentwood J Hoffman Prague 811 Dining Chairs Style Thonet
Located in Topeka, KS
Wonderful vintage Bauhaus beech bentwood frame Thonet Josef Hoffman Prague 811 style armed dining chairs by Falcon Products Inc., Set of 8. Beauti...
Category

Late 20th Century Macedonian Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Beech, Bentwood

Armless Bauhaus Beech Bentwood J Hoffman Prague 811 Dining Chairs Style Thonet
Located in Topeka, KS
Wonderful vintage Bauhaus beech bentwood frame Thonet Josef Hoffman Prague 811 style armless side dining chairs by Falcon Products Inc. We have 24...
Category

Late 20th Century Macedonian Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Beech, Bentwood

4 Armed Bauhaus Beech Bentwood J Hoffman Prague 811 Dining Chairs Style Thonet
Located in Topeka, KS
Wonderful vintage Bauhaus beech bentwood frame Thonet Josef Hoffman Prague 811 style armed dining chairs by Falcon Products Inc., Set of 4. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that ...
Category

Late 20th Century Macedonian Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Beech, Bentwood

8 Bauhaus Black Leather & Chrome Cantilever Italian Chairs Attributed Mart Stam
Located in Topeka, KS
Incredible Late 20th Century Bauhaus style black leather & chrome tube cantilever chairs attributed to Mart Stam, set of 8. This piece has been attributed based upon archived research including online sources, vintage documentation and catalogs, designer literature, and other materials however, it is not signed or marked in any way, other than Made in Italy. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that this is vintage and not new so will have signs of use and wear even if it has been refinished or restored. Specifically, three chairs had cracks in the seat bottom leather that have been supported by leather patches. These cracks most likely occurred because the previous owner did not have the tension support rods properly tightened while using. Please see photos, zoom in for details, and see long description as they are part of the condition report. We attempt to portray any imperfections. Circa, Late 20th Century. Timeless Style, Iconic Designer, and the Cantilever Controversy!! Yes, you read that right!! LOL… This is an iconic set of 8 vintage Italian Bauhaus beautiful black leather and chrome tube frame cantilever chairs attributed to Mart Stam. Epoch designer Mart Stam introduced the first cantilever chair in 1926 but ours are the Late 20th Century version of this design. They are ergonomically pleasing and comprised of gorgeous chrome tube frames, deep black leather seats, backs, and armrests adding an additional pinch of luxurious comfort. So, you can hardly talk about Bauhaus style OR iconic chair designs without including historic, exemplary names such as Mart Stam, Marcel Bruer, and Mies Van der Rohe. I mean, it’s hard… if not impossible to pick a favorite… BUT there’s a fun yet controversial story behind one of the most pivotal designs of all time… the cantilever chair… and WHO of these three icons actually designed it first!! Does it all come down to a design created for a pregnant Mrs. Stam? You decide… The story goes, as Mart Stam and Mies Van der Rohe were preparing for an exhibition in Stuttgart, Mart Stam presents his design idea to Mies Van der Rohe by grabbing a wedding invitation of Wille Baumeister off the desk, flipping it over, and sketching the drawing of a chair idea he has created for his then pregnant wife. He had created the design without the back legs, but it was not yet flexible. Mies Van der Rohe already had an extremely similar design style with his S 533 (MR 10) armchair AND one year later, Marcel Bruer presented his S 32 cantilever style chair! And… the battle BEGINS!! But let’s just take a breath and clear the air… Gentlemen…Relax… There is plenty of room in this Bauhaus furniture world for ALL of your phenomenal chair designs!! But… OH, THE CONTRAVERSY!!! Well, at the end of the day Mart Stam was awarded the authorship of the cantilever chair by the German Court. And, while we love them ALL, you have to admit… there is something unmatchable with this genre of chair design. It’s no wonder they are so sought after even today. This is a sturdy streamlined chair with timeless style that will blend in beautifully with Art Deco, mid-century modern, Industrial, minimalist, or maximalist styles. They will be fabulous surrounding your dining table, an office conference table, in a waiting room, used as accent chairs in your living or family room, or just extra seating in any room you choose! And if you need a table to complement these magnificent chairs, we have several listed here for sale that would be wonderful! Check them out!! Mart Stam was born in 1899 and entered the world of architecture at the age of 21 and by the age of 27 he became a well-known Dutch architect and famous furniture designer. Some of his work includes contributions to May Brigade, which is a group of famed architects in charge of designing Stalinist cities in the former Soviet Union and he was involved in several reconstruction projects in Germany. Because of his work including furniture design at the Bauhaus, Weissenhof Stellung, and at the Weissenhof Estate, his name became popular practically overnight. However, he was most famous for his Mart Stam cantilever chair which was introduced in 1926 and became extremely famed, and his acclaimed reputation exploded instantaneously. He influenced designs by Ellen Gray...
Category

20th Century Italian Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Chrome

PH Chair, chrome, leather extreme walnut
Located in Copenhagen, DK
In creating the PH Chair, Poul Henningsen sought to reinvent a number of classic furniture designs that had traditionally been constructed of wood, such as th...
Category

2010s Danish Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Brno Flat-Bar Chairs in Noir Velvet, Obsidian Gloss, Set of 4
Located in Wilton, CT
The definition of minimalism in a singular design, achieved by the great Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1929; the Brno flat-bar chair is just that. We have edited these contemporary ite...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Steel

8 Mies van der Rohe Cantilever Chairs in Chrome & Black Saddle Leather 1980s
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
Set of 8 MR 10 cantilever chairs (256cs) by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. This set is made in high quality black vegetable tanned saddle leather by Gavina in Italy c.1980s. An absolute icon of the Bauhaus Movement and influential to the entire Mid Century Modern Period. Comfortable and perfectly balanced they have become one of the most enduring designs of the 20th Century with manufacturing starting in 1927 and still continuing to this day. Originally designed as a dining chair they work equally well as side chairs or as a set of funky office meeting room or conference chair. The concept of using metal tubing as a supporting structure in chair design is credited to the British manufacturer RW Winfield who produced campaign chairs in a cantilever design for the Great Exhibition in 1851. This original design was known and documented to have been an inspiration to both Marcel Breuer and van der Rohe. Breuer was the first to produce a design in chrome pipe work and inspired by the curved handlebars of his Adler bicycle he designed the Wassily chair in 1925. Although this was not a cantilever chair it helped to establish a base production method that was built on by others. This resulted in the first true cantilever chrome chair, the S33, being designed by Mart Stam in 1926. Thereafter, van der Rohe designed the MR10 in 1927, the Brno chair in 1930 and Breuer 2 further chairs in 1928, the B32 (later named the Cesca chair after his daughter Francesca) and the B33 which was a derivative of Stam’s S33.
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal, Steel, Chrome

Cesca Chairs with Black Frames by Marcel Breuer attr. to Gavina, Italy 1960s
Located in Beograd, RS
This listing features very well known chairs - Cesca Chair by Marcel Breuer. Manufacturing of the chairs is attr. to Gavina. Marcel Breuer was an architect who worked in Bauahus Sch...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Josef Hoffman Bentwood and Cane Prague Chair for Thonet, 8 available
Located in Greensboro, NC
Labeled set of Josef Hoffman Prague "811" Chairs, circa 1930s, produced by Thonet. Amazing original condition on this set of 8 side chairs- could be 19...
Category

Early 20th Century European Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Cane, Bentwood

Bauhaus Style Set of 4 Spoleto Chairs by Ufficio Tecnico for Knoll International
Located in Doornspijk, NL
Ufficio Tecnico, Knoll’s own team of engineers and designers, created this cantilevered tubular metal chair in 1971 and called it the Spoleto. The ...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Steel

CASBAH Chair, Functionalist Inspired Brass, Vachetta Tubular by Nomade Atelier
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
the Casbah chair, Inspired by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy's photograms, is all linear balance, gravity and angular movement. A complex tubular brass structure fram...
Category

2010s Mexican Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal, Brass

CASBAH Chair Iron Fabric, Leather Mexican Contemporary Design by Nomade Atelier
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
the Casbah chair by Nomade Atelier, inspired by Lazlo Moholy-Nagy´s photograms, is all about linear balance, gravity and angular movement. Another version...
Category

2010s Mexican Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal

Arrben Italy Vintage Folding Chair Cane 1 / 20
Located in Munich, Bavaria
This Italian folding chair was manufactured by Arrben in Italy. The seat is made of cane.The frame in black laquered beechwood. The Folding frame is steel and chrome. The chair an...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Steel, Chrome

PH Chair, Chrome, Leather Extreme Black
Located in Copenhagen, DK
In creating the PH chair, Poul Henningsen sought to reinvent a number of classic furniture designs that had traditionally been constructed of wood, such as th...
Category

2010s Danish Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Chrome

'1' Thonet Anton Lorenz Cantilevered Chrome Armchair
Located in Pasadena, TX
(1 ) Thonet Lorenz arm chair The Lorenz arm chair was designed by Anton Lorenz in 1929 and manufactured by Thonet. In 1929 Anton Lorenz founded the firm Desta (Deutsche Stahlmöbel) in Berlin making Anton Lorenz the first to manufacture tubular-steel furniture on a commercial scale...
Category

1920s European Vintage Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Casbah Chair in Black Iron - Leather Mexican Contemporary Design Nomade Atelier
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
The casbah chair by Nomade Atelier, inspired by Lazlo Moholy-Nagy´s photograms, is all about linear balance, gravity and angular movement. Another version...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal

Brno Flat-Bar Chairs in Velvet, Obsidian Gloss by Mies van der Rohe for Knoll
Located in Wilton, CT
The definition of minimalism in a singular design, achieved by the great Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1929; the Brno Flat-Bar chair is just that. We have edited these contemporary ite...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Steel

PH Chair, chrome, leather extreme indianred
Located in Copenhagen, DK
In creating the PH Chair, Poul Henningsen sought to reinvent a number of classic furniture designs that had traditionally been constructed of wood, such as th...
Category

2010s Danish Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Chrome

PH Chair, Chrome, Leather Natural Un-Dyed
Located in Copenhagen, DK
In creating the PH chair, Poul Henningsen sought to reinvent a number of Classic furniture designs that had traditionally been constructed of wood, such as th...
Category

2010s Danish Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Chrome

PH Chair, chrome, leather extreme mocca
Located in Copenhagen, DK
In creating the PH Chair, Poul Henningsen sought to reinvent a number of classic furniture designs that had traditionally been constructed of wood, such as th...
Category

2010s Danish Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Dining Chair in Solid Walnut with Leather and Fabric Upholstered Seat
Located in Ballard, CA
The solid walnut classic French dining and desk chair is handcrafted with traditional joinery. The upholstery features a combination of leather and fabric and is an homage to 1940s F...
Category

2010s American Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Leather, Upholstery, Walnut

Casbah Chair Contemporary Functionalist Tubular design in Brass and Leather
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
The Casbah chair, inspired by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy's photograms, is all linear balance, gravity and angular movement. The complex tubular brass structure of...
Category

2010s Mexican Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal, Brass

PH Chair, chrome, hallingdal black 190
Located in Copenhagen, DK
In creating the PH Chair, Poul Henningsen sought to reinvent a number of classic furniture designs that had traditionally been constructed of wood, such as th...
Category

2010s Danish Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Brno Flat-Bar Chairs in Velvet, Obsidian Gloss by Mies Van Der Rohe for Knoll
Located in Wilton, CT
The definition of minimalism in a singular design, achieved by the great Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1929; the Brno Flat-Bar chair is just that. We have edited these contemporary ite...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Steel

Brno Flat-Bar Chairs in Velvet, Brushed Brass by Mies van der Rohe for Knoll
Located in Wilton, CT
The definition of minimalism in a singular design, achieved by the great Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1929; the Brno flat-bar chair is just that. We have edited these contemporary ite...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Brass, Steel

PH Chair, chrome, hallingdal light grey 126
Located in Copenhagen, DK
In creating the PH Chair, Poul Henningsen sought to reinvent a number of classic furniture designs that had traditionally been constructed of wood, such as th...
Category

2010s Danish Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Brno Flat-Bar Chairs in Dove Velvet, Lunar Gloss by Mies van der Rohe for Knoll
Located in Wilton, CT
The definition of minimalism in a singular design, achieved by the great Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1929; the Brno flat-bar chair is just that. We have edited these contemporary ite...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Steel

Kafka Dining Chair, Design by Toad Gallery London
Located in London, GB
England, circa 2019 A sleek contemporary dining chair with a striking graphic silhouette. Kafka has curves, contours and a timeless complimentary form. Made in England, hand joine...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary English Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Oak

Midcentury Dining Chair, Teak
Located in Ballard, CA
Handcrafted with traditional joinery in teak for outdoor use. The Scandinavian midcentury chair is inspired by the Bauhaus movement of the 1920s. Cust...
Category

2010s American Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Teak

Mid-Century Italian Modern Black and Chrome Cord Bauhaus Chairs by René Herbst
Located in Philadelphia, PA
1980s edition of the Sandows chair designed by Rene´ Herbst. An iconic Classic from the Bauhaus period. The feature polished stainless frames with elasticated cords. Plenty of extra ...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Bauhaus Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Bauhaus dining room chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Bauhaus dining room chairs for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage dining room chairs created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, chrome and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Bauhaus dining room chairs made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original dining room chairs, popular names associated with this style include Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Thonet, Knoll, and Marcel Breuer. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for dining room chairs differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $250 and tops out at $22,000 while the average work can sell for $2,388.

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