Brandtroducing: Thonet!

Oct 27, 2024

Today I would like to present to you the three great revolutions with which Thonet has shaped the furniture world in over 200 years .

The Thonet story begins in 1819, when cabinetmaker Michael Thonet founded his first workshop in Boppard on the Rhine. Thonet's first revolution was a new wood-bending technique, developed in the 1830s and immediately attracting considerable attention. In this technique, wood is softened by steam and heat, allowing it to be bent and molded into special shapes. After cooling, it remains stable, enabling a particularly light, elegant, yet robust construction. The curved, organic lines and open structure of this furniture give it a uniquely minimalist design. Furthermore, the technique is resource-efficient, using minimal material while still ensuring maximum stability. To this day, Thonet lovingly applies the so-called bentwood technique by hand .

In 1859, the second revolution followed: the Viennese Coffee House Chair No. 14, which helped Thonet achieve global success. The special thing about this model was that it was assembled from a few components and could be disassembled into individual pieces. This allowed it to be packaged compactly and exported all over the world – a single one-cubic-meter crate could hold up to 36 chairs ! This efficiency made the chair affordable and a popular mass product. By the 1870s, Thonet had sales outlets around the globe – from Frankfurt to Barcelona, Rome, Moscow, and New York.

In the 1930s, Thonet brought the third revolution to the furniture world: the mass production of tubular steel furniture in the Bauhaus style. An absolute classic from this era is the S 32 cantilever chair by Marcel Breuer – a design that finds its place in a wide variety of interior design styles. Thonet skillfully combines the tried and tested with the new: wood and Viennese wickerwork meet tubular steel, creating a timeless icon. The S 32 (and its variant, the S 64) remain the best-selling cantilever chairs worldwide to this day – a testament to their exceptional versatility and the enduring appeal of their iconic design. The ease with which Thonet balances tradition and innovation , combining quality with design, is truly unparalleled!

After World War II, Thonet faced expropriations in Eastern Europe and the destruction of several branches. Georg Thonet, the great-grandson of the company founder, reconstructed the completely devastated factory in Frankenberg, northern Hesse, between 1945 and 1953. The factory, which opened in 1898, remains the company headquarters to this day. To this day, descendants of Michael Thonet, representing the sixth generation, continue to work at the company. The company's comprehensive history can be admired in the company's own museum . If you're ever in the area, be sure to stop by!

And now for the pronunciation of the name! Contrary to popular belief, "Thonet" is not pronounced the French way (Thonné) – but quite simply: with a short, sharp "o" as in "pot" and a "nett" with a hard "t" at the end (pronounced: Tonnett).

Below this blog post, you'll find selected Thonet pieces that embody the essence of the brand. Perhaps you'll discover a piece of furniture that will enhance your home. As always, it's also worth checking out our new releases .