Thonet

Thonet is a German-Austrian furniture company best known for pioneering bentwood seating and other curved wooden furniture. The enterprise traces its origins to the work of Michael Thonet, who established a workshop in 1819 in Boppard, Germany. In the 1840s he and his company developed a method of steam bending solid timber to create continuous curved elements, a technique that enabled mass production of lightweight, graceful forms.

In the mid-19th century Thonet expanded production to Vienna, Austria, where the company built large-scale facilities and established an international market for its designs. The signature achievement of the period was the No. 14 Café Chair, introduced around 1859, crafted from steamed beechwood and assembled from bent sections. The No. 14 became one of the best-known and most widely manufactured chairs in the world, and the bentwood approach established Thonet as a prominent name in modern furniture.

Throughout the 20th century, Thonet continued to develop bentwood and other wooden furnishings, contributing to the spread of modernist design and influencing factory production techniques. The brand expanded internationally with additional factories, showrooms, and collaborations while maintaining a reputation for durable, reshapeable seating.

Today, Thonet operates as a brand within the Thonet Group, with a base in Vienna and production across Europe. The company remains associated with iconic bentwood chairs and other timeless, lightweight wooden furniture that helped redefine cafe culture and everyday interiors. Its No. 14 Café Chair endures as a design classic and a symbol of early industrial design.