Ton

Ton the design is shaped with curved wood

Handcrafted using the wood bending technique and covered in Vienna straw

TON, an acronym for the Czech phrase for "bentwood furniture industry", is one of the companies that inherited the history of Michael Thonet. Their headquarters are located in Bystřice pod Hostýnem, where the Austrian cabinetmaker created the world's first wood bending factory in 1861. The choice of place was not random. Michael Thonet had dedicated fifty years of his life to perfecting the technique of wood bending. Red beech, abundant in that area, hard, compact and homogeneous, without knots or significant grain, was the perfect wood for the production of chairs. The classic chairs and stools that are produced have entered the history of design, while the more recent projects have won numerous prestigious awards. Alongside the iconic collections, TON offers curved wood furniture, thanks to the collaboration with various designers in the sector. TON chairs and tables are a unique combination of quality and innovative design

TON, from classic icons to modern collections

TON has some historical pieces in its catalogue, re-proposed without changes compared to the originals. The worldwide success of the chairs made by Thonet is due to their innovative design, but also to their extraordinary robustness. During the 1889 Paris Universal Exhibition, chair N°14 fell from the Eiffel Tower and remained intact. The bending technique gives the wood solidity and flexibility, and reduces the use of joints, overlaps and joints to a minimum. The collection of historical pieces by TON, in addition to the one already mentioned, includes among others the N°18 chair, famous as a chair that still furnishes Viennese cafés today, the N°20 chair with seat and back in Vienna straw, the stools and the famous N°30 chair. The latter was Le Corbusier's favorite chair, who described it as noble, essential, simple and capable of adapting to the shape of the body. TON also offers contemporary pieces inspired by icons of the past, such as the Dejavu collection, Tram or the Ironica chair with its very famous coffee table. The modern and retro style of the Ironica family has proved its success, so much so that it is the best-selling. Inspired by the past, the Split collection, designed by Arik Levy. The peculiarity of the Split chair lies in the fact that the colour, chosen from a palette of 9 bright colours, is hand painted to obtain its shade. Each piece is unique. Finally, Jaroslav Juřica redesigned No. 14, using only three pieces, two of which are identical and form the legs, backrest and armrests. The result is the 002 chair, which won a mention at the prestigious Interior Innovation Award 2012.

The evolution of bent wood

Recently TON has undertaken numerous collaborations with internationally renowned designers, with the aim of breaking away from iconic models and reaching a more modern audience. The award-winning Merano chair designed by Alexander Gufler is proof of this. The solid wood legs connect to the curved plywood backrest and seat without having to be assembled with screws or metal parts. Light and solid, it is stackable up to 14 pieces. The Merano collection also includes an armchair, a lounge chair and a bar chair. Alexander Gufler replicates the success with the Albu collection, the first series of products covered in TON. The chair, armchair and lounge armchair are available with leather and fabric upholstery, and are designed to meet the needs of hotels and restaurants, but also private homes. The collection won the Red Dot Award 2018, the Good Design 2018 and the German Design Award 2018.

Complements and their particularities

The Fleur coat hanger is always inspired by the technology of wood bending. It consists of three legs in curved beech wood that act as feet and coat hanger. The Chips armchair by Czech designer Lucie Koldová is another Ton success. Soft curves and material contrasts make this lounge armchair a true symbol of relaxation, in which the backrest, in perforated fabric, is framed by a wooden oval that forms one of the three legs. The Leaf armchair, awarded with a mention at the German Design Award 2020, completes the collection designed by the Italian studio E-ggs. The armchair complements the chair and the bar chair, winners of the same award in 2017