Wonderful, 1960s Mid-Century Modern Walnut Executive Desk by Thonet
View Similar Items
Wonderful, 1960s Mid-Century Modern Walnut Executive Desk by Thonet
About the Item
- Creator:Thonet (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.5 in (74.93 cm)Width: 54 in (137.16 cm)Depth: 30 in (76.2 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Early 1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Lafayette, IN
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2680310492641
Thonet
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.
- Rare Mid-Century Modern Walnut Push-Button Executive Desk by SLS EnvironeticsBy Lehigh LeopoldLocated in Lafayette, INThis ultra-rare and ultra-cool desk features a black steel frame, walnut veneer cabinet and brushed-aluminum legs with rosewood inlay. The contrasting woods, aluminum accents and minimalist, mid-century lines, make this desk is the epitome of 70's chic! However, what makes this desk truly remarkable is its parlor trick... Cable-actuated, spring-loaded drawers that open at the touch of a button! (see video) This unique desk was custom-designed by SLS Environetics and produced by Leopold/Litton Industries for use in offices at the Sears Tower...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsSteel, Aluminum
$3,499 Sale Price63% Off - Mid Century Modern Walnut & Black Vinyl Executive Swivel Desk Chairs by ThonetBy ThonetLocated in Lafayette, INAs seen on the Apple TV limited series "Lessons in Chemistry" These actual chairs were featured in several pivotal scenes in the conference room at Hastings Labs. Chair was manufact...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
$2,099 Sale Price / item30% Off - Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Danish Modern Rosewood Executive Desk by Arne VodderBy Arne Vodder, H.P. HansenLocated in Lafayette, INThis is a wonderful executive desk designed by Arne Vodder for Danish furniture manufacturer H.P. Hansen. Desk Features: - Book-matched Rosewood veneer - Solid rosewood frame - Br...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsRosewood
$4,399 Sale Price20% Off - Vintage 7ft 1970s Mid-Century Modern Rosewood & Oak Executive Desk by DunbarBy Dunbar FurnitureLocated in Lafayette, INThis beautifully-made executive desk features a design reminiscent of Roger Sprunger and the unparalleled build-quality for which Dunbar is renowned. The clean, Minimalist lines are...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsOak, Rosewood
$2,475 Sale Price44% Off - Rare 1950s Mid-Century Modern Art Deco Inspired Walnut Rounded Top DeskLocated in Lafayette, INStunning 1950s desk by the Shelbyville Desk Company of Indiana. Desk features a 66" rounded-end top, walnut veneer and wonderful Art Deco hardware. T...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsWalnut
$1,749 Sale Price41% Off - Rare 1980s Mid Century Art Deco Executive Table Desk by Pierre Paulin for BakerBy Baker Furniture Company, Pierre PaulinLocated in Lafayette, INRare Art Deco executive desk designed in 1984 by Pierre Paulin for Baker Furniture. Desk features bird's-eye maple with walnut inlays, chocolate-brown, leather-top writing surface an...Category
Vintage 1980s American Art Deco Desks
MaterialsLeather, Maple, Walnut
$3,499 Sale Price65% Off
- 1960s Leopold Mid Century Modern Walnut Executive DeskBy Leopold FurnitureLocated in Portland, ORA Midcentury Modern executive desk with a conference size overhanging. Rand & Leopold Desk Company was an office furniture manufacturing firm which operated out of Burlington, Iowa, ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsWalnut
- 1960s Mid-Century Modern Walnut Executive Desk with Chrome AccentsLocated in Los Angeles, CAExperience the timeless elegance of our 1960s Mid-Century Modern Executive Desk, masterfully constructed from select walnut wood. This vintage writing table, restored to impeccable c...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsBrass
$3,956 Sale Price25% Off - Mid Century Modern Executive Walnut DeskLocated in North Hollywood, CAStunning mid-century modern walnut executive desk made in the USA, circa 1960's. This desk features a well-crafted walnut design accented by elegant chrome handles. Designed with fun...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsChrome
- Italian Mid-Century Modern Executive Desk by Vittorio Dassi, 1960sBy Vittorio DassiLocated in Traversetolo, ITStylish Italian Mid-Century Modern executive desk in bordeaux color designed by Vittorio Dassi in the 1960s. Hexagonal top shape, the double brass bar support with high adjustable le...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsBrass
$3,518 Sale Price20% Off - 1960's Mid Century Modern Walnut Executive desk with floating topLocated in Chicago, IL1960's Mid Century Modern Walnut Executive desk. Features a "floating" desktop and (6) drawers. Unmarked, however very well made. 60" x 30" x 29"H Condition: Overall very good con...Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsWalnut
- Restored 1960s Mid-Century Modern Oak and Brass Executive DeskLocated in Los Angeles, CAStep into the world of mid-century modern design with our beautifully restored 1960s executive desk. This exquisite piece, hand-crafted from a blend of oak wood and brass, is a testa...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
$4,706 Sale Price25% Off