Michael Thonet No. 18 Bentwood Chair by Ton (Upholstered)

The Michael Thonet designed  No. 18 Bentwood Chair is one of the most famous chair of all time.  The No. 18 Bentwood Chair’s simple elegance and modest creation from a handful of bentwood pieces have become legendary worldwide.  This No. 18 is manufactured at a factory utilizing handcraft techniques originated by Michael Thonet. 

In the 1830s, Michael Thonet started experiments with bent veneers in an effort to reduce the number of separate pieces of wood being used in chairs.  These early techniques were successful in reducing the number of pieces in bentwood chairs from 10 to 5.  Further reduction became the focal point of Michael Thonet’s work.

In the 1840s Michael Thonet began experimenting with furniture made by bending wood that had been steamed into a soft and pliable state. Over the next 20 years, Michael Thonet and his sons developed the processes and machines that would allow them to build bentwood furniture in unprecedented quantities. It was in this time period that he developed what has become thought of as the “traditional” Michael Thonet-designed bentwood chair: one featuring a backrest and back legs made from a single piece, a rounded cane or laminated seat, and front legs. In his effort to reduce the number of pieces used in building chairs, he had to connect the main elements that existed on different planes.  This could only be achieved by bending wood.  

Remarkably few changes have been necessary over the last 150 years. The factory still follows the 19th-century production methods developed by Michael Thonet to produce stylistically accurate, handsome, and sturdy bentwood chairs, stools, tables, and accessories. Today the No. 14 is widely used in cafes, restaurants, offices, and homes.

Dimensions: H 33″  D 20 1/2″  W 16 1/4″  SH18 1/4″

Materials:  Bentwood chair.  Frame in solid natural beechwood or beechwood with stain.  Upholstered with fabric or leather over a polyurethane foam cushion.  Please note seat will match frame coloring when specifying the wood veneer seat.