The Thonet Principle

1  I D E A  -  6  P A R T S  -  2  S C R E W N U T S  -  10  S C R E W S

214 - It is a success story with many facets

The starting point was a new technique – the bending of solid wood – that Michael Thonet perfected during the 1850s, enabling mass production. Added were new and simple aesthetics and a low price, which represented a revolution in interior design: suddenly, homes, restaurants and cafés looked entirely different; they were lighter and less massive.

An ingenious distribution idea

36 disassembled chairs including the screws were packed in a transport box with a volume of one cubic meter and shipped throughout the world. They were assembled on site – in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa.

Therefore, Thonet is considered a pioneer of industrial design, and the chair no. 14 – today 214 – is considered the most successful industrial product in the world: it established the starting point for the history of modern furniture.

The most important industrial product

By the year 1930 over 50 million of them had been produced. With its clear, reduced aesthetics, this classic has been finding a place in the most diverse environments for more than 150 years.

An anecdote tells us how the new Eiffel Tower restaurant in Paris was furnished with Thonet chairs. One chair fell from the first platform and a height of 57 meters to the ground and was not damaged! To date, the design, quality and durability give wings to Thonet furniture.

Shop the look

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214 Chair, black TP29 - Thonet - Thonet Design Team - Furniture by Designcollectors

214 Chair, black TP29 Thonet

955,90 €
(790,00 € excl.VAT*)
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209 Chair, Natural beech - Thonet - Thonet Design Team - Furniture by Designcollectors

209 Chair, Natural beech Thonet

1 306,80 €
(1 080,00 € excl.VAT*)
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118 Chair, Black - Thonet - Sebastian Herkner - Furniture by Designcollectors

118 Chair, Black Thonet

562,65 €
(465,00 € excl.VAT*)
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-40%
119 Chair, Black - Thonet - Sebastian Herkner - Furniture by Designcollectors

119 Chair, Black Thonet

1 488,30 € 892,98 €
Save 595,32 €
(738,00 € excl.VAT*)
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118 HT Wooden Barchair, Black, stained beech - Thonet - Sebastian Herkner - Furniture by Designcollectors

118 HT Wooden Barchair, Black, stained beech Thonet

774,40 €
(640,00 € excl.VAT*)
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S 32 Chair, Black TP29, Cane work - Thonet - Marcel Breuer - Furniture by Designcollectors

S 32 Chair, Black TP29, Cane work Thonet

1 082,95 €
(895,00 € excl.VAT*)
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S 64 Chair, Black TP29, Cane work - Thonet - Mart Stam - Furniture by Designcollectors

S 64 Chair, Black TP29, Cane work Thonet

1 421,75 €
(1 175,00 € excl.VAT*)
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14 KR Children's Chair - Thonet - Furniture by Designcollectors

14 KR Children's Chair Thonet

482,79 €
(399,00 € excl.VAT*)

Footnotes: 
Text and photos: thonet.de