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Collection by Aileen Kwun

Ways to Use a Thonet Bentwood Chair

Best known for its iconic Cafe chair, Austrian furniture company Thonet—named after its founder, Michael Thonet, who began using bentwood in the 19th-century—has continued to produce sinuous yet minimal wooden seating designs for more than 150 years. Here are seven inspiring spaces that make use of the timeless pieces.

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In the dining area, a Campo d’oro table from De Padova is ringed by vintage Michael Thonet Bentwood chairs. The kitchen features b3 cabinets by Bulthaup and custom stainless-steel countertops. The red Stool_One counter stools are by Konstantin Grcic for Magis.
In the dining area, a Campo d’oro table from De Padova is ringed by vintage Michael Thonet Bentwood chairs. The kitchen features b3 cabinets by Bulthaup and custom stainless-steel countertops. The red Stool_One counter stools are by Konstantin Grcic for Magis.
Dixon inspects a drawing in the couple’s shared office on the home’s top floor. The space features a sloping ceiling that rises to ten feet at one end. The new wood of the inserted ceiling counterpoints the vintage pumpkin pine floorboards underfoot.
Dixon inspects a drawing in the couple’s shared office on the home’s top floor. The space features a sloping ceiling that rises to ten feet at one end. The new wood of the inserted ceiling counterpoints the vintage pumpkin pine floorboards underfoot.
Khemsurov: "The blue table is a precursor to Trift, developed in 2008 for Milan's Post Design Gallery. The chair, however, is a kind of inside joke — Seng acquired the broken Thonet frame from her grandmother's house eight years ago, and Valder kept begging her to fix it or throw it out. The feud was resolved during the move in May, when someone rested one of Seng's stumps on the chair's seat by happenstance. "Now we love it," says Valder."
Khemsurov: "The blue table is a precursor to Trift, developed in 2008 for Milan's Post Design Gallery. The chair, however, is a kind of inside joke — Seng acquired the broken Thonet frame from her grandmother's house eight years ago, and Valder kept begging her to fix it or throw it out. The feud was resolved during the move in May, when someone rested one of Seng's stumps on the chair's seat by happenstance. "Now we love it," says Valder."
The living-dining room overlooks the neighborhood and the Bay beyond. The Safari chair was designed by Jens Quistgaard. Michael Thonet chairs are paired with a walnut table by Anthony Marschak for Original Timber Co.
The living-dining room overlooks the neighborhood and the Bay beyond. The Safari chair was designed by Jens Quistgaard. Michael Thonet chairs are paired with a walnut table by Anthony Marschak for Original Timber Co.
Big windows need massive supports that are hard to disguise. To get unobstructed views, Levy did away with the beams, opting instead to use laminated veneer lumber studs to hold the windows in place. The Poltrona Frau sofas date from the 1980s, and the cane-chrome armchairs are from Gebrüder Thonet Vienna.
Big windows need massive supports that are hard to disguise. To get unobstructed views, Levy did away with the beams, opting instead to use laminated veneer lumber studs to hold the windows in place. The Poltrona Frau sofas date from the 1980s, and the cane-chrome armchairs are from Gebrüder Thonet Vienna.