A little about the man
Michael Thonet
Michael Thonet (1796 – 1871) was a German-Austrian cabinetmaker, known for the invention of bentwood furniture. Thonet was the son of the tanner Franz Anton Thonet of Boppard. After an apprenticeship as a carpenter, Thonet established himself as an independent cabinetmaker in 1819. A year later he married Anna Grahs, with whom he had seven sons and six daughters. However, only five of the sons survived early childhood.
Thonet chair wicker - restoration in original style
Thonet chairs with wicker are timeless design classics. At DKA Design we offer professional repairs and new wicker for, among others, No. 14, No. 811 , S64, the Frisvingerstolen and several other models. We carry out both French wicker and machine wicker in high quality, so that your Thonet chair retains its authentic expression.
Our work is based on traditional techniques and materials that match the original design of the chair.
Is the seat or back damaged? We recreate the wicker exactly like the original – with care and exceptional craftsmanship.
Contact us if your Thonet chairs need new wicker.
In the 1830s, Thonet began to experiment with making furniture from glued and bent wooden slats. His first success was the Bopparder Schichtholzstuhl (Boppard layered wood chair) in 1836. In 1837, Thonet achieved significant independence by acquiring Michelsmühle, the glue factory that made the glue for this process.
However, his attempts to patent the technology failed in Germany (1840) and in Britain, France and Russia (1841). Thonet's major breakthrough was his success in bending light, strong wood into curved, graceful shapes by shaping the wood in hot steam. This enabled him to design entirely new, elegant, lightweight, durable and comfortable furniture that had a strong appeal to fashion – a complete departure from the heavy, carved designs of the past – and whose aesthetic and functional appeal remains to this day. ( Source )
Models from Michael Thonet
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We weave almost all models, so contact us if you have a chair that needs new weaving.
Then we will arrange it for you.
ORIGINAL THONET CHAIR WICKET
Michael Thonet: A well-known German-Austrian classic
Michael Thonet is best known for his machine-woven chairs. Among them, he created the well-known French café chair. We machine-weave these chairs, and most other furniture with this weave.
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In addition to being specialists in weaving your Thonet chairs, we are also experts in repairing them, and of course we provide a full satisfaction guarantee.
ORIGINAL THONET CHAIR WICKET
Designers behind French Braid
Several of the greatest furniture designers have used French wicker as an integral part of their most famous works. German-Austrian cabinetmaker Michael Thonet is among the most prominent figures in this tradition. He revolutionized the furniture industry with his bentwood chairs, including iconic models such as the No. 14 and S64 , which often feature wicker seats and backs.
Designers such as Hans J. Wegner and Børge Mogensen have also used French wicker in their iconic chairs, where the light, elegant wicker creates a classic expression.
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