Bauhaus Furniture: History, Iconic Pieces and How to Style It
Bauhaus furniture is furniture from the Bauhaus, the German school of art, design and architecture that ran from 1919 to 1933, and from the architects around it. It is simple, functional and free of ornament, built from industrial materials such as tubular steel, leather and glass. Nearly a century on, pieces like the Wassily and Cesca chairs still look modern, which is why Bauhaus style furniture sits so easily in today's homes.
- Bauhaus furniture comes from the German design school that ran from 1919 to 1933, in Weimar, Dessau and Berlin.
- It is simple and functional, with no ornament, and uses industrial materials such as tubular steel, leather and glass.
- The best-known pieces are Marcel Breuer's Wassily and Cesca chairs and Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona and Brno chairs.
- Le Corbusier's tubular steel pieces belong to the same period but not to the school.
- In a UK home, one or two Bauhaus pieces on a calm, neutral base go further than a full room set.
What is Bauhaus furniture?
The Bauhaus was founded by the architect Walter Gropius in Weimar in 1919. It moved to Dessau in 1925 and finally to Berlin, where it closed in 1933 under pressure from the Nazi regime. In those 14 years it had three directors: Gropius, Hannes Meyer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
The school set out to bring art, craft and industry together. Its furniture was meant to be simple and useful, with no decoration, and increasingly designed for industrial production rather than one-off craftsmanship. That is why "Bauhaus furniture" today means a family of pieces from the school and its circle, most of them made from tubular steel.
The characteristics of Bauhaus furniture
- Function first. Every part has a job. The idea is often summed up as "form follows function", a phrase coined earlier by the American architect Louis Sullivan and taken up by the modernists.
- No ornament. Clean lines and simple geometric forms, with nothing added for decoration.
- Visible construction. You can see how a Bauhaus chair is made: the frame is the design.
- Industrial materials. Tubular steel, leather, glass, plywood and cane, chosen for strength and lightness.
- Made for production. Pieces were designed to be manufactured, not carved, one reason so many are still made today.
Iconic Bauhaus furniture pieces
Wassily chair (Marcel Breuer, 1925)
Marcel Breuer trained at the Bauhaus and ran its furniture workshop from 1925. That year he designed the tubular steel lounge chair later named after his colleague Wassily Kandinsky, reportedly inspired by the handlebars of his bicycle. Its open frame and taut straps make it instantly recognisable. The Mobelaris Wassily chair has a polished stainless steel frame with black PU straps.
Cesca chair (Marcel Breuer, 1928)
Breuer designed the Cesca in 1928, after leaving the Bauhaus for his own practice in Berlin. It is a cantilever chair: a single loop of steel with no back legs, holding a woven seat and back. It is one of the most practical Bauhaus pieces for everyday dining. The Mobelaris Cesca chair pairs polished stainless steel with woven rattan in an ash or black lacquered beech frame.
Barcelona chair (Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, 1929)
Designed for the German Pavilion at the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona, the Barcelona chair pairs a polished steel X-frame with tufted leather cushions. Mies van der Rohe later became the Bauhaus's third and final director. See the Mies van der Rohe furniture collection for the chair, stool and daybed.
Brno chair (Mies van der Rohe, 1929 to 1930)
A cantilevered chair associated with the Villa Tugendhat, the house Mies designed in Brno between 1928 and 1930. Where the Cesca is light and woven, the Brno chair is fully upholstered and heavier, a dining chair that stays put.
MR chair (Mies van der Rohe, 1927)
One of the first cantilevered tubular steel chairs, with a gently curved front that gives a slight spring as you sit. It is part of the same story as the Cesca, which followed a year later.
Bauhaus tables and lighting
Breuer's Laccio nesting tables use the same tubular steel with flat tops; see the Laccio coffee table. In the metal workshop, Wilhelm Wagenfeld designed one of the best-known lamps of the period; see the Wilhelm Wagenfeld lighting collection.
Le Corbusier: same period, different school
Le Corbusier's tubular steel pieces of 1928, designed with Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand, are often grouped with Bauhaus furniture because they share its materials and ideas. Le Corbusier worked in France and was never part of the Bauhaus. The LC2 armchair is the best-known example.
Bauhaus style furniture in a UK home
- It suits smaller rooms. Slim frames and open backs take up little visual space, which helps in flats and terraced houses where every metre counts.
- It mixes well. The clean lines sit comfortably with Scandinavian and mid-century pieces, and with period architecture as a deliberate contrast.
- It feels retro without looking dated. The pieces are nearly a century old, but their simplicity keeps them current.
How to style Bauhaus furniture
Keep the palette neutral
Start with white, grey, black and natural wood, and add colour in one place: a feature chair, a rug or a piece of art. Bauhaus teaching worked with primary colours and simple shapes, so a single red, yellow or blue accent fits the style.
Soften the steel
Pair tubular steel and leather with warm materials: wooden floors, wool rugs, linen and plants. A chrome chair on a wool rug looks finished; on a bare tiled floor it can look cold.
Use geometry, not clutter
Echo the furniture with simple shapes: a round mirror, a rectangular rug, a globe lamp. Keep surfaces clear so each piece can be seen.
Let one piece lead
A single Wassily chair or Barcelona chair is a statement on its own. Give it space rather than surrounding it with other strong shapes.
Bauhaus furniture by room
- Living room: a Wassily or Barcelona chair as the statement seat, a glass or steel coffee table, and abstract art.
- Dining room: Cesca chairs around a wooden table for an everyday set, or Brno chairs for a heavier, upholstered look.
- Home office: a cantilevered chair at a simple desk, with a globe or task lamp in chrome or black.
- Bedroom: a single lounge chair in a corner, with plain bedding in block colours or tonal shades.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bauhaus furniture?
Bauhaus furniture is furniture from the Bauhaus, the German school of art, design and architecture that ran from 1919 to 1933, and from the architects around it. It is simple and functional, with no ornament, and uses industrial materials such as tubular steel. The best-known pieces are chairs by Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
What are the characteristics of Bauhaus furniture?
Clean lines and simple geometric forms, no decoration, visible construction, and industrial materials: tubular steel, leather, glass, plywood and cane. Pieces were designed with industrial production in mind. The look is light and open, with frames that leave space around and through the furniture rather than filling it.
Who designed Bauhaus furniture?
The best-known designers are Marcel Breuer, who ran the Bauhaus furniture workshop from 1925 and designed the Wassily and Cesca chairs, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the school's last director, who designed the Barcelona and Brno chairs and the MR chair. Wilhelm Wagenfeld, from the school's metal workshop, is known for his table lamp.
Is Le Corbusier furniture Bauhaus?
Not strictly. Le Corbusier worked in France and was never part of the Bauhaus, but his tubular steel pieces of 1928, designed with Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand, share its materials and ideas. That is why the LC2 armchair and LC4 chaise longue are often grouped with Bauhaus furniture.
Is Bauhaus furniture comfortable?
More than it looks. The Cesca's cantilevered frame flexes slightly as you sit, the Wassily's straps hold you in a reclined position, and the Barcelona chair has deep leather cushions. The pieces were designed to be used every day, so comfort depends on choosing the right chair for the job rather than on the style itself.
Does Bauhaus furniture work in a small UK home?
Yes. Most pieces have slim, open frames, so they take up little visual space in a flat or terraced house. Start with one piece, such as a Cesca chair at the dining table or a Wassily chair in a corner, on a neutral base, and add a second piece only once the first has room around it.
The bottom line
Bauhaus furniture is a small family of pieces from a short-lived school, and its ideas still shape modern furniture: simple forms, honest materials and nothing added for show. Start with one piece, give it room, and build around it. Browse the full Bauhaus furniture collection, with Breuer's Wassily and Cesca chairs, Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona and Brno chairs, and the Laccio tables.