Set within the old Thonet showroom in Melbourne’s Fitzroy, the stylish interior of this Bentwood cafe pays homage to the building’s former custodians. With reference to the furniture company’s most iconic design, Bentwood employs the use of carefully detailed joinery to reflect the industrial heritage evident both within the space and the surrounding neighborhood.
To achieve this, emerging Australian design practice, Ritz&Ghougassian referenced the colour and material palette of the building’s exterior throughout its internal spaces. Primed steel wall cladding and a gridded ceiling in red oxide offsets exposed heritage brick and steel-framed windows. A paved brick floor and leather banquette add texture while faux concrete columns are inserted to complete the look.
A skilled craftsman, Michael Thonet painstakingly carved his furniture from European beech until he discovered a method of bending wood, exploring the limitations of its flexibility and developing a new era of design possibility.
Considered the definitive Thonet, No. 18. Is one of the most successful chair designs ever produced. With versatile seat options, this timeless classic features the elegance and functionality that is Bentwood; The classic No. B9 Le Corbusier armchair was widely used by the Modernist Architect during the mid-1920s; The utilitarian Round Barstool, shown here in Tall, features decorative braced hoops and is ideally suited to industrial schemes and warehouse homes.
