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This is design:

“Our company philosophy is that design is a reduction of things to their bare essentials. That means for us, you can find furniture with very clean forms and minimal materials.”

-Peter Thonet

Thonet’s Chair No. 14 is so ubiquitous now, most people don’t even consider where it came from or who made it. But this simple chair was designed over 150 years ago using a industry-changing process that’s still in practice today. 

I love Eames, I love Saarinen, and I love Van der Rohe. I’m a mid-century gal through and through. But Thonet’s No 14 gets me every time. The molded wood came long before Eames. The entire chair is put together with only 6 pieces of wood and 10 screws, but it’s strong enough to last for decades.

And it always reminds me of cafes in Paris. 

Take a peek at this quick video on the history of this beautiful and iconic piece of industrial design.