Thonet

Thonet Furniture - A success story spanning over two centuries

The Thonet company can look back on a unrivalled tradition spanning over 200 years. With the bentwood process Thonet revolutionised the production of chairs and armchairs in the 19th century, a period that saw the genesis of one of the most famous Thonet classics: the Coffee House chair No. 14, designed more than 150 years ago by Michael Thonet and available today as the Thonet 214 / 214 M. At the beginning of the 20th century the company achieved a new fame and renown on account of its collaboration with Bauhaus architects such as Marcel Breuer.

To this day Thonet chairs and tables are design icons, some of which are still made by hand based on the original designs. Contemporary furniture designs such as the chair 118 / 118 M by designer Sebastian Herkner complete Thonet's portfolio.

The S 43 Classic looks just as contemporary today as it did when it was developed almost 100 years ago

► THE HISTORY OF THE THONET COMPANY SINCE THE 19TH CENTURY
► THONET CLASSICS - AN OVERVIEW OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THONET FURNITURE DESIGNS
► THONET AND SUSTAINABILITY
► THE MOST IMPORTANT THONET DESIGNERS
► FURNISHING SPACES WITH THONET

The history of the Thonet company since the 19th century

The Thonet family

Origins as a carpentry workshop

The history of the Thonet furniture company goes back to 1819 when the German master carpenter Michael Thonet founded a workshop in Boppard am Rhein and quickly established a reputation for the quality of his furniture. In 1842 he moved his family and company to Vienna where, a decade later, he transferred management of the company to his sons - the birth of the iconic "Gebrüder Thonet".

Rise to international renown

At the end of the 19th century the Thonet furniture company expanded worldwide - founded and bought numerous factories, branch offices and sawmills in Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe, before, in the wake of the First World War, Thonet found itself in a precarious economic situation as a consequence of the collapse of the Habsburg monarchy. However, under the leadership of the Jewish businessman Leopold Pilzer, Thonet was able to cooperate with several Berlin factories which were entrusted with the production of Modernist tubular steel furniture: a resounding success. But unfortunately short-lived. During the period of National Socialism, the factories were expropriated, the company was broken up and the sales headquarters on Stephansplatz in Vienna were destroyed. Pilzer himself had to flee.

Thonet after the Second World War

In 1938 the Thonet family bought back the shares in Thonet Mundus AG, but it was not until the 1950s that the company was in a position to once again take up production. With the appointment of Claus Thonet as a board member the fifth generation of the family finally joined the company management in 1972. From 197 the Austrian and German parts of the company continued to operate independently. Today Peter Thonet runs the family business which was renamed from "Gebrüder Thonet" to "Thonet GmbH" in 2006.

Thonet classics - An overview of the most important Thonet furniture designs

The top 5 Thonet design classics

What do the letters and numbers in the names of Thonet furniture stand for?

Michael Thonet named his first chair: No. 1. Since then all Thonet chairs (with exceptions) have been numbered consecutively. The prefixes in turn provide information about the respective material.

Chairs without a prefix are usually made of wood, such as the bentwood chair 214/214 M, which used to be called No. 14. The S on the S 32 and the S 64 stands for steel/steel tube.

The suffixes also designate the respective variants: The F in the S 43 F stands for armchair (derived from the French fauteuil) and the M in the 214 M stands for plywood trough seat. The S 32 by Marcel Breuer, in the S 32 N version, features a seat composed of mesh rather than the classic cane mesh.

Thonet and Sustainability

Sustainable materials, sustainably produced and sustainably comfortable: the Thonet 209

Thonet has committed itself to ensuring that profit-oriented growth must go hand in hand with environmental protection, ecologically responsible action and social justice. To this end the company today operates in a holistically sustainable manner and with social prudence at all levels.

Long-lasting products thanks to first-class quality

Thonet furniture has always been characterised by excellent quality and extreme longevity. On the one hand this applies to the timeless design of Thonet furniture, which has lost none of its relevance since its creation, and on the other on the high quality of the materials and production. Today Thonet furniture has no negative impact on the environment, neither during production nor during its disposal.

Future-oriented, sustainable

Especially with a view to the future, sustainability is a core component in all of Thonet's corporate decisions. New product concepts in particular are therefore carefully tested for recyclability, sustainability and environmental friendliness of the materials. The company now sources 100 percent of its electricity from sustainable energy sources. In order to make a further contribution to reducing the ecological footprint, Thonet has also invested in recycling systems for solvents.

Certified environmental management

Thonet's certified environmental management meets the demands of international standards and is geared towards the three pillars of economic sustainability, ecological sustainability and social sustainability. All Thonet employees are trained in accordance with these guidelines and are committed to acting accordingly. The company communicates clear targets and reports annually on the environmental goals it has achieved. In 2020, water consumption, energy consumption, waste volume and CO2 emissions were significantly reduced compared to the previous year.

Made in Germany

Thonet has been producing furniture for over 200 years, and that is today completely Made in Germany for over 200 years. With an unbroken passion for materials and craftsmanship, Thonet design icons and contemporary furniture alike are created at the Thonet factory in Frankenberg. Production there takes place according to the highest quality standards in several production steps that combine the most modern production technologies and traditional craftsmanship.

Selected and sustainable materials

Thonet uses a wide variety of materials and colours, which are identified individually for each product, and whose selection is subject to systematic quality and environmental management control. For example, all woods are FSC or PFSC certified and the stains with which they are treated contain less than 2 percent solvents. The leather comes exclusively from Europe and is tanned and dyed according to strict ecological guidelines. All textiles processed by Thonet have an abrasion rating of 25,000 or higher and are therefore particularly resistant and durable. The cane weave used by Thonet is a natural product made from rattan, which grows as a tropical creeper in the rainforests of Indonesia and is neither bleached nor dyed.

The most important Thonet designers

Apart from the company founder Michael Thonet and his sons, who designed numerous Thonet furniture objects in the early decades, the furniture manufacturer has worked with a large number of renowned designers throughout its history. Thanks to these collaborations Thonet has repeatedly succeeded in setting new standards and consolidating its position as a leading furniture design manufacturer.

In the 1930s Thonet was already the world's largest producer of tubular steel furniture, which was designed by some of the most important Modernist architects, including, Mart Stam, Marcel Breuer, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe or Le Corbusier. This furniture embodied the spirit of a new era characterized by rapidly advancing industrialization and innovative technologies. In addition to the tubular steel cantilever chairs, numerous tables also arose from this period - such as the B9 nesting tables or the iconic S 285 desk, both by Marcel Breuer.

Thonet represents the transition to the 21st century and the present day with designers such as Sebastian Herkner, Stefan Diez and Studio Irvine. The in-house Thonet design team also continually expands the portfolio with new furniture designs with designs such as the tubular steel secretary S 1200.

Furnishing spaces with Thonet

Both the Thonet design classics and the contemporary collections are characterised by their adaptability to different room concepts, which means they can be used in private living areas, commercial environments and anywhere where living and working merge.

Over time Thonet has expanded its traditional heritage to include a variety of contemporary furniture. From minimalist chairs to innovative tables, the newer Thonet models also combine functionality with high aesthetic standards. Thonet offers a comprehensive selection of chairs, stools, sofas and armchairs, as well as tables, shelves and collections of patio and garden furniture objects, all of which are complemented by accessories and lighting designs.

Curious to learn more? Browse the Thonet brochure "Practised Values" for more inspiration and background stories on how Thonet furniture shapes spaces around the world: