Bauhaus Furniture History and Characteristics

Tubular steel chairs, designed by Marcel Breuer, 1928

The Bauhaus was an avant-garde design studio that operated in Germany between 1919 and 1933. Founded by architect Walter Gropius, the school incorporated art, architecture, and in particular, distinctive furniture that would become known as Bauhaus style.

These early designers were revolutionary in their experimental designs, which had a simplicity, harmonious geometry, and industrial-like practicality; the idea was that high design should be cheap enough to be utilized by the masses. Mass production was the aim, and the school's slogan and its core raison d'etre became Art into Industry.

The style had a tremendous impact on 20th-century furniture design and beyond. Even in the 21st century, its influence is still strong among contemporary architects and designers, and Bauhaus furniture reproductions continue to be manufactured in many parts of the world.

Bauhaus is everywhere in modern design; it's hard to look at a piece of Ikea furniture, for example, without noting how much the clean, simple lines are reminiscent of the Bauhaus style, and indeed Ikea design strategist Mats Nilson has made a point of saying that his company’s ideology is inspired by the Bauhaus Studio.