Ten Chairs That Changed the Shape of Everyday Life
A chair is a small object with a surprisingly large design history. From bentwood café seating to mesh office chairs, these ten designs show how changes in materials, production and the way we live can reshape the simple act of sitting.
Thonet No. 14 | Michael Thonet, 1859
A café chair became an industrial idea. Michael Thonet's No. 14, now produced by Thonet as the 214, reduced a chair to a small family of bentwood components rather than a heavy carved frame. Its open back, circular seat and slender legs made it visually light; its disassembled parts also made it unusually economical to transport. The breakthrough was not simply a recognisable silhouette, but a repeatable way to manufacture, ship and assemble everyday furniture.
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