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.
Hynek Gottwald Bauhaus Oak Wardrobe with Chromed Tubular Legs, 1930s
Located in Żory, PL
Original Bauhaus wardrobe designed by Hynek Gottwald, manufactured in Czechoslovakia during the 1930s/1940s. Features three doors, two interior clothing rails, two shelves, and the i...
Steel, Chrome
Bauhaus Chromed Tubular Steel Wardrobe by Hynek Gottwald, 1940s
Located in Żory, PL
This Bauhaus-style wardrobe was designed by Hynek Gottwald and produced in Czechoslovakia in the 1940s. It features two doors, an internal clothes rail, and a shelf. The wardrobe sta...
Steel
Bauhaus Modernist Office Cabinet / Sideboard, R. Slezák, Czechoslovakia, 1930s
Located in Żory, PL
Original office storage cabinet (model SK 19) made in Czechoslovakia in the 1930s by the Robert Slezák factories. A clean, modernist form with balanced proportions, warm wood veneer...
Steel, Chrome
$2,880Sale Price|20% Off
Deco Bauhaus chrome 3 drawer desk by Wolfgang Hoffmann Desk for Howell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Deco Bauhaus chrome 3 drawer desk by Wolfgang Hoffmann Desk for Howell. Bent chrome tube structure with 3 drawers. Good vintage condition for its age shows wear and use to chrome and...
Chrome
$691Sale Price|20% Off
Green Metal German DDR cabinet 1960's
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Metal cabinet with metal drawer. Made in the DDR periode by the factory VEB Starkstrom-Anlagenbau Cottbus.
Metal
Functionalist Plant Stand in Bauhaus Style, Chrome and Glass, Czechia, 1930s
Located in Żory, PL
A distinctive plant stand from Czechoslovakia, dating to the late 1930s–1940s. The frame is made of chromed steel tubing, shaped into an irregular, balanced composition typical of Ce...
Steel, Chrome
Walnut Bauhaus Wardrobe with Chrome Legs by Robert Slezák, 1930s Czechoslovakia
Located in Żory, PL
Authentic two-door Bauhaus wardrobe designed by Robert Slezák, model SK-9, made in Czechoslovakia during the 1930s. A classic catalog example of Central European interwar functionali...
Steel, Chrome
Custom Made Secretaire Cabinet, Chrome Plated Metal, Lacquered And Veneered Wood
By GMD Berlin
Located in Berlin, DE
Tubular steel secretaire-cabinet made of lacquered and veneered wood. Customizable, production time c. 12 weeks.
Metal, Chrome
$893Sale Price|20% Off
Green Metal German DDR double door cabinet 1960's
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Double doors metal cabinet with 2 metal drawers. Made in the DDR periode by the factory VEB METAN from Tannenberg.
Metal
Modernist Two Door Wardrobe, Chrome Plated Metal and Walnut Veneer, circa 1930
Located in Berlin, DE
Modernist two door wardrobe designed by Hermann John Hagemann and manufactured by Thonet or Mücke-Melder, c. 1930. The wardrobe is made of chrome plated tubular steel and walnut vene...
Metal, Chrome
Bauhaus Briar Wood Sideboard in Hynek Gottwald style
Located in Milano, IT
This stunning storage cabinet, with uncertain attribution but strongly influenced by the style of Hynek Gottwald, immediately captures attention with its modernist lines and perfect ...
Iron
DOOQ Buffet Sideboard Berlin in Natural Walnut, Polished Brass, Olive Green
By DOOQ
Located in Lisbon, PT
Like its name suggests, Berlin sideboard is inspired by Bauhaus, a wave of thought that is impossible to overlook when passing through the streets of Berlin. In a more down to earth ...
Brass
1950s Oak Bauhaus Mirror Cabinet, Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- good /very good original condition with minor signs of use
Chrome
Bauhaus cabinet Modell B 290 – Bruno Weill (BeWe) for Thonet-Paris, ca. 1930
By Bruno Weil
Located in Berlin, DE
This exceptionally rare Model B 290 cabinet, designed by Bruno Weill (BeWe) around 1930 for Thonet-Paris, represents a key moment in the dialogue between Bauhaus Modernism and the Fr...
Steel
Bauhaus Four Door Wardrobe, Walnut Veneer, Chrome Plated Metal, Made-to-Measure
By Hermann John Hagemann, GMD Berlin
Located in Berlin, DE
Made-to-measure Bauhaus wardrobe designed by Hermann John Hagemann and Manufactured by GMD Berlin. The four door wardrobe is made of chrome plated metal and walnut veneer.
Metal, Chrome
Modernist Three Door Wardrobe, Chrome Plated Metal and Walnut Veneer, circa 1930
Located in Berlin, DE
Modernist Wardrobe designed by Hermann John Hagemann and manufactured by Thonet or Mücke-Melder, circa 1930. The wardrobe is made of chrome plated tubular steel and walnut veneered w...
Metal, Chrome
Restored Bauhaus Wardrobe, by H.J.Hagemann for Slezak, Chrome, Czech, 1930s
By Slezak Company, Hermann John Hagemann
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Slezak Catalog number: SK2 This unique Bauhaus wardrobe originates from Czechoslovakia from the 1930s. It is an authentic piece from the renowned Slezákovy závody, model designation...
Steel, Chrome
Large 1930s German Modernist Showcase Counter with Drawers
Located in Berlin, DE
Spectacular large showcase counter in the style of German Modernism — an impressive display unit from the 1930s, originally produced for a luxury department store or high-end retail ...
Steel, Chrome, Nickel
$1,152Sale Price|20% Off
Hollywood Regency Gilded Metal Umbrella Stand by Li Puma, Firenze, Italy, 1950s
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: umbrella stand Origin: Italy Age: 1950s Design and Producer: Li Puma, Florence in Italy This original vintage Hollywood Regency umbrella stand was produced in the 1950s ...
Metal
Modernist Desk in Solid Wood 40s / 50s Bauhaus Style Vintage
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
French desk from the 40s / 50s in modernist Bauhaus style. Structure of the desk in veneered and solid Rio rosewood with a triple tubular base in chromed steel quite rare. The desk i...
Chrome
1930s Bauhaus Wardrobe by Vichr & Spol in walnut Finish, Czechoslovakia
By Vichr & Spol
Located in Praha, CZ
- Carefully refurbished - Minor signs of use - Chrome plated legs with some signs of use - can be disassembled for transport
Chrome
Restored Bauhaus Wardrobe, by Vichr a spol., Chrome, Steel, Oak, Czech, 1930s
By Vichr & Spol
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This elegant three-door wardrobe is a representative piece from the renowned manufacturer Vichr a spol. in Lysá nad Labem, originating from 1940s Czechoslovakia. The structure is cra...
Steel, Chrome
Console in the Style of Bauhaus Movement, Steel and Walnut - Barcelona, Spain
Located in Girona, Girona
Console with a nickel plated steel tubular stands and three shelves in solid wood with walnut veneer, French polish. In the style of Bauhaus Movement...
Steel
Small Modernist Writing Table, Chromed Steel, Veneered/ Lacquered Wood, Bespoke
Located in Berlin, DE
Small modernist writing table made of chrome plated tubular steel, stained/ veneered/ lacquered wood. The table can be customized and is available in different amounts. Delivery time...
Metal, Chrome
Bauhaus Desk by Mücke-Melder, Steeltubes and Oak Veneer, Czechia circa 1935
By Marcel Breuer, Mücke & Melder
Located in Regensburg, DE
Beautiful, large modernist Bauhaus Steeltube Desk by Mücke-Melder, Czechia circa 1935. Oak solid wood and veneer. Chrome-plated, polished tubular steel frame with original patina. Left and right each 4 long drawers. By locking the top drawer all 4 drawers are locked. Very functional with much storage space and very good legroom. The desk can also be used as a 'partners desk' and be worked on from two sides. In the style of Marcel Breuer’s steel tube desks...
Steel
Exceptional Thonet Bauhaus wardrobe , luxury mahogany edition by Thonet
Located in Berlin, DE
This rare and exceptionally well-preserved Bauhaus wardrobe was designed by architect and furniture designer John Hageman for Thonet-Mundus and produced in the company’s renowned Fra...
Steel, Chrome
$4,706Sale Price|20% Off
Bauhaus Armoire, Palisander Optic, Steeltube and Chrome, Germany circa 1930
Located in Regensburg, DE
Original, extraordinary and rare Bauhaus / Art Deco wardrobe from Germany or Czech Republic around 1930. Plywood painted in rosewood veneer look. At the front of the frame a circumfe...
Steel, Chrome
PH Grand Chest of Drawers, Mahogany, Emerald Green Leather Panels, Brass Legs
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Created so it can be placed in the centre of a room, away from a wall, Poul Henningsen’s grand chest of drawers features wooden panels on all sides. It is designed to be admired and considered from every angle. This piece highlights the distinctive feature of legs that appear separate from the frame, making a clear distinction between the light, thin legs and the solid, strong body. The PH grand chest...
Leather, Mahogany
PH Dressing Table in steel - with elegant drawers and optional mirror with light
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Dressing Table in steel with the PH Mirror reinterprets Poul Henningsen’s 1919 dressing table for a contemporary, steel framed expression. Light in presence yet strong in cons...
Steel, Chrome
Walnut Bauhaus Wardrobe Made in Czechia by Robert Slezak, 1930-1939
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Original walnut wardrobe made in Czechia by Robert Slezak Period: 1930-1939 Condition: Original Material: Walnut and Chrome-plated steel.
Chrome, Steel
Marcel Breuer Attribution, Sideboard, Cherry, Glass, Germany, 1925
Located in High Point, NC
A cherry-veneered wood and glass cabinet or sideboard attributed to Marcel Breuer. Present cabinet was produced for the apartment of Fred Forbát, Zehlendorf, Berlin, Germany, c. 1925...
Glass, Cherry
$540Sale Price|23% Off
Bauhaus Chrome-Plated Tubular Steel Étagère / Flower Stand, 1930s
Located in Lucenec, SK
Chrome-plated tubular steel étagère made in the 1930s with glass shelves. Chrome plating is in original condition.
Steel, Chrome
Bauhaus Kitchen Wall Cabinet with Glass Bar 1930s
Located in Saarbruecken, DE
This small wall cabinet is a kitchen cabinet from the early 1930s. The cream white softwood wall cabinet features a spacious interior with two bakel...
Metal
Rare Jules Buoy Custom Cabinet / Shelves/ Dry Bar, c 1931
By Jules Buoy
Located in Buffalo, NY
Rare Custom Art Deco, Bauhaus cabinet with removable mirror and ingenious double hinged doors with circular cutout pulls, Designed by architect and designer Jules Buoy, Made for Carlo's Salzedo's Summer Harp Colony in Camden , Maine, Amazing design, color, patina ,Reminiscent of famed designs by Paul Frankl, Donald Deskey, Kim Weber...
Wood
Italian rationalist sideboard by G. Pagano in Bauhaus style
By Giuseppe Pagano Pogatschnig
Located in Milano, IT
1920s Italian Sideboard in Rationalist Style - Design by Giuseppe Pagano, Bauhaus Influences This refined 1920s Italian sideboard, attributed to renowned architect and designer Giuseppe Pagano, is an emblematic example of the Italian Rationalist period, strongly influenced by the aesthetic principles of European Bauhaus. Clean lines, essentiality and fine materials come together in a piece of furniture with academic rigor and timeless charm. The frame features a birch burl veneer ( we assume), with a linear configuration. The central part consists of two doors with black lacquered wood handles, which open to two large interior shelves, ideal for storing objects of different sizes with order and elegance. The element that immediately catches the eye is the left side of the sideboard, where a black lacquered wall stands out, enriched by three arched shelves...
Wood
Bauhaus Tubular Steel Desk by André Lurçat, Manufactured by Thonet, circa. 1935
By André Lurcat
Located in Berlin, DE
Bauhaus tubular steel desk designed by André Lurçat and probably manufactured by Thonet. Chrome plated tubular steel, stained oak veneer, circa 1930.
Metal, Chrome
Restored Bauhaus Desk, Erich Dieckmann, Lacquered Rosewood, Germany circa 1925
Located in Regensburg, DE
Original, fully restored Bauhaus Desk, attributed to Erich Dieckmann, Germany, 1923-1925 at the Bauhaus in Weimar. Wonderful rosewood / Palisander veneer with excellent piano lacquer...
Stainless Steel, Nickel
Restored Bauhaus Console Table, Oak and Glass, Refreshed Polish, Czechia, 1950s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Restored Bauhaus console table. Refreshed polish. Source: Czechia Period: 1950-1959 Material: Oak and glass.
Wood, Glass, Oak
Modernist Tubular Steel Desk, Chrome Plated Steel, Walnut Veneer, ca. 1935
By Vichr & Co.
Located in Berlin, DE
Modernist tubular steel desk, walnut veneer, chrome-plated steel, circa 1935
Metal, Chrome
Marcel Breuer Bauhaus Display Glass Cabinet Showcase S40 by Tecta, Germany
Located in Munster, NRW
Marcel Breuer S40 Cabinet Showcase for Tecta, Germany Rare display cabinet model S40, originally designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925. Re-editioned by Tecta Germany in the 1980s. Mar...
Glass, Wood
Stunning Contemporary Modern Oval Cerused Credenza Sideboard, Italy
By Knoll
Located in Buffalo, NY
Contemporary Modernist Oval cerused credenza/sideboard, Made in Italy, Simple, sleek design, Classic Knoll-like hand pulls, generous storage, file drawer, doors/shelves, drawers, Sup...
Stainless Steel
PH Small Drawer Chest, brass legs, mahogany veneer, green leather, ash drawers
Located in Copenhagen, DK
This small but perfectly formed storage piece is made out of wood and can be combined with soft leather on the panels. It is elegant and stylish all the way around and from all angles. Poul Henningsen designed this in 1920. The PH Small Drawer Chest...
Leather, Mahogany
$653Sale Price|20% Off
Green Metal German DDR cabinet 1960's
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Metal cabinet with metal drawer. Made in the DDR periode by the factory VEB METAN from Tannenberg.
Metal
Restored Bauhaus Wardrobe, by Vichr a spol., Original Paint, Czech, 1930s
By Vichr & Spol
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
The chrome parts have been cleaned and professionally restored. This wardrobe from the 1930s is a fine example of Bauhaus design, crafted in Czechoslovakia by the renowned company ...
Steel, Chrome
PH Display Cabinet - mahogany veneer with glass doors for visual display
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Display Cabinet presents objects with clarity in a refined, architectural form. Two variants serve different needs: Glass doors for visual display and wood doors for discreet storage. Balanced proportions and precise joinery keep the expression intentionally quiet so the room remains legible. Interiors are organised for daily use with well-resolved adjustable shelves and discreet hardware. Sits naturally in living, dining, office or gallery settings. Beautiful, strong and powerful of presence yet still light in appearance, the PH Display Cabinet is intended to be displayed as well as to display. As with PH’s Dressing Table and PH Office Desk...
Wood, Mahogany, Glass
Restored Bauhaus Wardrobe, by H.J.Hagemann, Mücke-Melder, Czech, 1930s
By Hermann John Hagemann, Mücke & Melder
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This unique wardrobe (clothing cabinet) in the Bauhaus style originates from Czechoslovakia from the 1930s and is a masterpiece attributed to the architect Hermann John Hagemann for ...
Wood, Lacquer
Bauhaus Plant Stand by Emile Guyot for Thonet, Circa 1930s
By Thonet
Located in Gloucester, GB
Bauhaus plant stand by Emile Guyot for Thonet, Circa 1930s - Chromed tubular steel - Cantilever design - Toughened black glass shelves - Desi...
Glass
Pair of Restored Bauhaus Cabinets, by H.J.Hagemann, Mücke-Melder, Czech, 1930s
By Mücke & Melder, Hermann John Hagemann
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Wardrobe dimensions: Height: 178 cm Width: 121 cm Depth: 58 cm Chest of drawers dimensions: Height: 119 cm Width: 121 cm Depth: 58 cm This unique set of two Bauhaus cabinets origin...
Wood, Lacquer
$1,296Sale Price|20% Off
German Metal Drawers Cabinet, 1970s
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Beautiful Cabinet with drawers. The cabinet has been restored and the drawers are sealed with Linseed oil, the top part is original and has a nice patina look.
Metal
Mid-century design tubular steel etagere
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Mid-century design tubular steel etagere in very nice original condition with signs of use.
Stainless Steel
PH Small Drawer Chest, Brass Legs, Mahogany Veneer, Red Leather, Ash Drawers
Located in Copenhagen, DK
This small but perfectly formed storage piece is made out of wood and can be combined with soft leather on the panels. It is elegant and stylish all the way around and from all angles. Poul Henningsen designed this in 1920. The PH small drawer chest...
Mahogany, Leather
Restored Bauhaus Cabinet, by H.J.Hagemann, Mücke-Melder, Czech, 1930s
By Hermann John Hagemann, Mücke & Melder
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This unique drawer cabinet (chest of drawers) in the Bauhaus style originates from Czechoslovakia from the 1930s and is a masterpiece attributed to the architect Hermann John Hageman...
Steel, Chrome
Bauhaus Cocktail Cabinet by Marcel Louis Baugniet with Makers Emblem, 1920s
Located in Reading, Berkshire
Bauhaus Cocktail Cabinet Made By The World Renowned Belgium Architect And Furniture Designer Marcel Louis Baugniet With Makers Emblem 1920s Item has the designer's makers mark label...
Wood
Marcel Breuer B21 Thonet Bauhaus Tubular Steel Typewriter Table
Located in Sharon, CT
Important early piece (1928) of Breuer's revolutionary tubular furniture.
Steel
$1,152Sale Price|20% Off
Hollywood Regency Gilded Metal Umbrella Stand by Li Puma, Firenze, Italy, 1950s
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: umbrella stand Origin: Italy Age: 1950s Design and Producer: Li Puma, Florence in Italy This original vintage Hollywood Regency umbrella stand was produced in th...
Metal
Rare and Large rationalist sideboard attributed to G. Terragni brass handles
Located in Milano, IT
Rare and majestic, this large Italian sideboard from the 1920s, attributed to the influential architect Giuseppe Terragni, is a true work of art of rationalist design, deeply inspire...
Brass
Small Sideboard in the Bauhaus style
By Bauhaus
Located in Milano, IT
This cabinet is a remarkable example of Bauhaus-inspired design, showcasing a harmonious blend of wood, iron, and reflective glass shelves. Crafted during the iconic period of ration...
Iron
1930s Art Deco/Bauhaus Mahogany and Brass Highboy on Canted Legs
Located in Charleston, SC
Oh boy this dresser is so much cooler in person than the pictures show. 6 drawers with original brass pulls. The dresser was carefully refinished and we did strip the handles, and ...
Brass
Restored Bauhaus Wardrobe, by Vichr a spol., Chrome, Steel, Oak, Czech, 1930s
By Vichr & Spol
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This elegant two-door wardrobe is a representative piece from the renowned manufacturer Vichr a spol. in Lysá nad Labem, originating from 1940s Czechoslovakia. The structure is craft...
Steel, Chrome
$519Sale Price|75% Off
1950s Sideboard With Bent Plywood Sliding Top, Czechoslovakia
Located in Zohor, SK
Beautiful 1950s sideboard, that can easily be used as a bar nowdays. The sideboard is made of oak wood and has a strong construction with dark brown stain wood. The bottom compartmen...
Oak, Plywood