Bentwood and Bistro Chairs For Cozy Dining

Bentwood and bistro chairs are always a classic. From sidewalk cafes and Paris to small apartments anywhere else – they certainly add a bohemian flare to most any interior or exterior. Perhaps I’ve got the travel bug, but Paris is calling!

What is a bentwood chair? Per the Encyclopedia Britannica: Bentwood furniture is made by bending wooden rods into the required shape after they have been heated with steam. Although this method of bending wood was used by makers of the Windsor chair in the 18th century, it was not until the 1840s that its possibilities were exploited fully.

Michael Thonet, an Austrian cabinetmaker working in Vienna, experimented with designs based on birch rods bent into curvilinear shapes. His bentwood chairs are among the most successful examples of early mass-produced furniture. They were exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London and were sold in vast quantities throughout Europe and the United States for the rest of the century. Because bentwood furniture was light, comfortable, and inexpensive, as well as strong and graceful, it was widely used in clubs, hotels, shops, and restaurants. Many of the early bentwood pieces were stained black or dark brown. Seats were commonly made of cane or plywood and were the only portions not made by the bentwood method.

Parisian woven cafe chairs are a form of bentwood with natural rattan or synthetic cane woven around the frame to add color and comfort to the classic wood chair.

French Art Deco V-back stacking chairs dating to the 1920’s/30’s was an advancement of mass produced chairs. Durable and inexpensive, they also became popular for restaurants and bars. Personally, I don’t find these chairs comfortable at all but perhaps for a quick bite they are fine.

One thing I really like with bentwood and bistro chairs is that they can be mixed and matched in with lot of more modern style chairs. The epitome of a classic.

I’m planning a little bentwood and bistro chairs set for the private patio in my dream home.

Pin for future reference.

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