Bentwood chairs are the most established and recognizable chairs from centuries. These are versatile chairs used in coffee bars, homes, and other workplaces.
What Do Bentwood Chairs Look Like? Bentwood chairs look like French-style chairs and their unique design makes them charming and elegant in your home. It is easy to identify them due to their distinctive features compared to other typical chairs. These have an upper curve and then bows inwards. Various bentwood chairs include candy cane, rocking, cross back, upholstered, fireplace, and swivel chairs. Beechwood and ash are used to make them pressure-resistant and more supportive. It is easy to recognize them based on the mark of Thonet Company.
Their color also varies because more classic chairs were black and faded brown. But now, bright colors like pink and blue have replaced them to make them eye-catching.
What are bentwood chairs?
A bentwood chair was invented in the 1800s and is often called a Thonet chair because Thonet Michael was the first person to introduce them in the furniture industry.
The combination of heat and moisture makes the woods soft, and it is molded and bent into different designs. This wood is soft and flexible enough to give it distinctive shapes and features.
The wood hardens when it dries out, and it helps to maintain the shape into which we molded the wood. These were first used in coffee shops because of their typical design.
He used 6 different pieces of bent wooden slats and glue to put these pieces together.
Then, he bent the wooden pieces into elegant curves using steam on light-colored and robust wood.
How to identify a bentwood chair?
It is pretty easy to identify an item based on some specific characteristics. In the same way, you can identify them due to their unique properties and designs.
In addition, it comes in various shapes and styles, making them unique in their way.
It is also called a Thonet chair; it is also identifiable because of this name.
However, from the 20th century, there has been a unique way to identify the real bentwood chair.
These are undifferentiated from other typical chairs on the presence of THONET, that is, a company name after the name of Thonet Michael.
This mark is present either on the arms or legs of the chair or even under the seat. But this mark plays an essential role in making them distinguishable.
What style is a bentwood chair?
A room is incomplete without furniture, and it becomes essential to decorate your room with furniture of different styles, which adds beauty to your room.
The chair is one of the essential components to give your room a perfect look, and you can enhance its charm further if you focus on adding different and unique styles.
These come in various styles to make your room more attractive and elegant.
These are unique in their way because of their style and fashion.
Bentwood chairs copy classic French style, which means they have Cabriole legs. A Cabriole leg provides vertical support to the chair and has two curves.
One is the upper curve that protrudes outward and is convex. The other is an inner curve that bows inward, and it is concave in shape.
French-style also uses the art of scalloped carving to make the furniture more aesthetic and pleasant. Scallops mean decorative designs connected in a flowing pattern to make their edges attractive.
Carving is also an act that uses different tools to scrap away some portion of the material to give it a different and stylish look.
These style chairs have some essential features because they are made by using hot steam on strong woods. This style also refers to the emergence of durable and unique designs.
Candy cane and cross back bentwood chairs
Bentwood candy cane chair is a type of Thonet chair is also called ice cream chairs used in bars and restaurants.
Cross-back chair made up of beech wood and a padded seat. These are beautiful, affordable, and provide a different look to your dining room.
A dining area is a loving place in your home that is used for meals and family gatherings, and these cross back chairs are a true example for this purpose.
These have x shaped back, curved legs, and a woven seat to provide an extra cushioning effect and these are well known for their solid construction.
Rocking bentwood chairs
Rocking chairs are a common type of bentwood chair because these are designed in a way to move back and forth easily. Bent pieces of wood play an essential role in creating rockers and curved legs.
Moreover, these have armrests and back seats, and these are made up of beech wood and provide more comfort and support.
Rocking chairs designs also have different styles, and they are of three types: rockers, gliders, and platform rockers.
Upholstered Thonet chairs
There is another type called upholstered Thonet chair, and people place them around the dining table to give a more elegant look.
These have carved wooden elements and unique padded covers that make these chairs more comfortable.
The soft inner cushion provides a valuable contrast with the carved wooden elements, and it has a high seating position to create a sense of ease.
Fireplace and swivel Thonet chairs
There is another type called fireplace chair, and people can use them easily because they are foldable.
In addition, these provide an extra level of stability, which is not affected even after folding.
Swivel Thonet chair is another type that contains a frame, base, armrest, seat, and backrest. Its height is freely adjustable, and people mostly prefer these chairs in their offices.
These are made up of solid wood with wickerwork and contain wheels, and provide an extra level of support to your back.
In addition, wickerwork supports the chair when a heavy load is placed on them.
Wicker materials also need special attention in dry areas because they are prone to crack and damage.
It is better to regularly clean them with a wet cloth to avoid their material from becoming fragile and broken. You can also use glue to reattach the threads if they become loose.
Modern swivel chairs are also available in an upholstered version that provides a soft and cozy environment.
Children’s bentwood chairs
Bentwood chairs are also available for lightweight and easy-to-carry children. These are made up of molded plywood material that makes them more durable.
These are made up of molded plywood back, Legs, and triangular back.
Its seat is made with plywood, veneer sheet, and padded foam.
It has a unique design and all edges give a shape of soft radius to ensure a child’s safety.
What type of wood is used in bentwood chairs?
There are various qualities of wood that can be used in bentwood chairs to make them attractive. But, their strength and flexibility also depend on the quality of the material.
It is essential to use high-quality wood to prevent them from cracking. The most common and high-grade quality that fits them is beech wood and ash.
These are also easy to bend compared to other hardwoods that are not moldable.
There is an advantage to using beech wood and ash in that they do not crack during the process of bending of woods to achieve a variety of styles.
Moreover, these are strong enough to provide enough support and maintain the longevity of these chairs.
The other benefit of using these two materials is that they are indestructible and can take a lot of pressure to prevent them from damage.