Thonet: The New 118 Chair Designed with a Contemporary Flair

The latest edition of the 118 chair designed by esteemed German furniture maker Thonet in partnership with Sebastian Herkner, revisited the “Frankfurt Chair” developed in the 1930s, which was most prominent for its solid structure at that time.

The story went back to 1842, when Michael Thonet left Germany for Vienna, Austria, where he founded “Gebrüder Thonet” in 1853. At that time, designers were in search of the “new chair,” to keep abreast with the new lifestyle trends and match the habits of people in the modern age.

Taking cue from the 1859’s Thonet’s 214 chair, the latest edition of the 118 is presented in a more contemporary style; the seat frame is crafted from a single piece of curved wood and has rounded legs at the back of the seat, resembling a horseshoe-shape with slight edges on the front.

No stranger to the world of furniture design, Thonet is renowned for pioneering the process of steam bending wood into curved shapes with number imprint on each of its chair model.

Premiered at this year’s imm cologne furniture trade show, the 118 is available in natural beech wood and lacquered or stained versions, and with a wicker or a molded seat.

For more information, please visit the official site of Thonet here.