Europe's Essential Travel Object Isn't A Monument. It's A Chair

When travelers think of Europe, they picture landmarks — the Eiffel Tower's steel, Rome's ancient stones, Prague's spired skyline. Yet there's another, quieter ambassador of place: something you sit on. In cafés and boutique hotels, libraries and town halls from Vienna to Lisbon, a humble design object quietly defines how Europeans inhabit public life: the bentwood chair. And the most enduring maker of bentwood furniture in the world is Ton , handcrafting steam-bent chairs and tables in Bystřice pod Hostýnem, Czech Republic, since 1861 — in the same location, with the same core technology, uninterrupted for over 160 years. "We are the world-leading bentwood furniture crafters elevating the basic need of sitting to a pleasure for all senses," the company boldly states.

Design Heritage in Motion

For Milan Dostalík, CEO and majority owner, running Ton is about stewardship. "It means responsibility rather than romance," he says. "The tradition of producing bentwood furniture here dates back to 1861. Such continuity is rare. It fosters discipline. Heritage cannot simply be used for decoration. Its relevance and quality must be demonstrated every year." Ton has kept its industrial heritage alive while modernizing production. "While using principles refined over generations to steam-bend wood, the company invests in robotics, precision technologies and global distribution. This is not about preserving a museum. It is about demonstrating that historical production cultures can remain globally relevant," Dostalík explains.

The No. 14 Chair: Design Icon and Legacy

The No. 14 chair is often called the most successful chair ever produced. "You can't protect it by locking it in a glass case. You protect it by letting it live," says Dostalík. "The No. 14 was a success because it was radical for its time, with its simple components, industrial logic and global distribution. If we want to honour that spirit, we must apply the same logic today: Efficiency, clarity and durability. Heritage is not about copying the past. It's about carrying on its legacy."

Anna Polišenská, COO, underscores the continuity of Ton's method: "The basic principle is still the same as it was at the beginning of bentwood furniture production. Solid beech wood is steamed so that it softens and can be bent, and it is then placed by hand into metal molds where it takes on its shape. After bending, the component must dry for several days so that the shape becomes permanent. The principle of bending wood using steam has remained surprisingly unchanged for more than 160 years."

Design Furniture as Civic Architecture

Ton chairs do more than decorate; they shape behavior. "Furniture operates at the level of the body before it does at the level of style. A chair defines posture. Posture influences how long we stay, how we engage and how we relate to others in a shared space," says Dostalík.

Bentwood chairs allow spaces to breathe. "In many European interiors, the proportions, materials and tactility are balanced in a natural, unstaged way. Bentwood plays a particular role in creating that atmosphere. It is light yet stable, and warm yet not overpowering. Civic spaces are not only designed visually. They are also designed physically. Furniture is the most direct point of contact between a person and a public environment," he adds.

Design Durability as Sustainability

Ton's chairs are built to last. "We provide a 10-year warranty as standard. For a solid wood chair in real hospitality use, 15 to 20 years is a realistic lifespan. Our chairs can be reupholstered, refinished and structurally repaired. We regularly receive pieces for renovation that are over 100 years old. This is when durability stops being a mere claim and becomes a business model," says Dostalík.

Beyond longevity, sustainability is operational. "The most sustainable product is one that never needs replacing… Offcuts and production remnants are incorporated into smaller accessories and pieces, such as the Logs coat stand. Sustainability is material, technical and operational," he explains.

Human Skill Meets Modern Design Technology

Precision machinery ensures repeatability, but human expertise remains central. "Steam-bending round wood profiles is still done manually… Each piece reacts differently depending on its structure. An experienced craftsperson can feel the moment just before failure and adjust accordingly. This sensitivity can't be programmed," Polišenská explains.

Other stages, such as assembly, staining, lacquering, cane weaving, upholstery and final packaging, also rely on human skill. "Automation ensures precision and repeatability. Human skill, however, ensures structural integrity and character," she adds.

And naturally, training takes time. "It takes about a year for a worker to learn several of the most common bends. To master the entire range of components we produce, however, usually takes around five years of practice. Experienced workers can anticipate how the material will behave and work with much greater confidence," Polišenská says.

Global Design Reach and Core Markets

Ton's core strength remains the contract market: cafés, restaurants, hotels. "These are environments where furniture undergoes rigorous testing — it is stacked, moved and cleaned daily and used for hours at a time," Dostalík notes. Office interiors are a growing segment as workplaces adopt more hospitality-driven design. Central Europe maintains strong residential demand due to proximity and brand recognition, but internationally, the focus remains on contract projects where durability and serviceability are essential.

Design That Works in Context

Roman Vrtiška, Ton's art director, emphasizes a holistic approach: "As designers, we must consider the broader context — not only where to place the product within the brand portfolio, but also its viability in the market and related sales and marketing strategies. It is also fundamental to consider how it will be received by architects, developers, interior designers and operators."

The curves of steam-bent wood are both functional and tactile. "Bentwood technology allows shapes that cannot be achieved with standard methods. The soft shapes invite contact. Wood is highly haptic in temperature, structure and surface," Vrtiška explains.

Durability and ergonomics are critical. "Even the best design will not stand the test of time if it frequently receives complaints. Products must be stress-tested for real life, especially in public or mass-use settings."

Where Ton Chairs Travel Through Design

From the cobbled streets of Prague to Parisian cafés, Ton chairs quietly guide the rhythms of daily life. Patrons unwittingly participate in Ton's centuries-old design experiments: the chair's ergonomics influence posture, social interaction and even the tempo of conversation. And some of their iconic designs are particularly prevalent.

Dostalík notes: "Chairs such as the No. 14, 811 and No. 30 armchair are instantly recognisable in a photograph. Their curves are clear and confident. However, their visual impact is not just for decoration. They are the visible expression of structural tension, balance and ergonomics."

That value proposition has only grown more nuanced over time. "Ton chairs used to be affordable yet very durable — they could last for generations, offering an excellent balance of price and quality. Today, their price has risen noticeably, but thanks to their sturdy construction and timeless design, they remain a popular choice for interiors where longevity and timelessness are essential," says Václav Červenka, the architect responsible for the interiors of Lokál pubs.

Libraries, town halls and boutique hotels rely on the same principles. It is light yet stable, and warm yet not overpowering — allowing architecture to breathe while remaining the most direct point of contact between a person and a public environment.

One place where this philosophy comes to life is Grandhotel Pupp in the historic spa town of Karlovy Vary. Founded in 1701, the hotel sits in a destination recognized as part of the UNESCO-listed Great Spa Towns of Europe, where café culture and social life have long shaped the rhythms of the town.

For the hotel, choosing Ton furniture was a natural extension of its identity. "The Czech brand Ton fits very naturally into the concept of Grandhotel Pupp and the atmosphere of a place with more than three centuries of history," explains Martina Hlaváčková, the hotel's marketing manager. "Our aim is to showcase the very best of the Czech Republic to our guests, not only through gastronomy and hospitality, but also through design and craftsmanship."

The chairs also meet the practical demands of hospitality. "We have been using Ton chairs in our hotel for several years, and they have proven to perform exceptionally well even under intensive daily use," she says. "In a hotel and restaurant environment, durability and longevity are essential."

The iconic No. 14 bar stools, for example, line the counter of the Malá dvorana lobby bar, a space recognised in the Michelin Guide and awarded two toques by Gault&Millau. In such a setting, every element of the interior contributes to the guest experience.

Guests notice the difference. "They often comment on the overall atmosphere of our spaces, and the furniture is an integral part of it," Hlaváčková says. "They particularly appreciate the elegance, comfort and authentic character of the interior."

The alignment runs deeper than aesthetics. "Ton's philosophy — combining traditional craftsmanship, high-quality materials and timeless design — closely reflects the values of Grandhotel Pupp," she adds. The hotel itself celebrates 325 years of history, a legacy that mirrors Ton's respect for continuity and craft.

Grandhotel Pupp has also become part of cinematic history, appearing in films such as Casino Royale and Last Holiday — yet even amid this glamour, the quiet rituals of hospitality remain the same: a table, a drink and a chair designed to be sat in for hours.

A Design Bridge Between Past and Present

Heritage is part of Ton, but not its endpoint. "Over the next decade, we intend to expand our contemporary portfolio significantly, deepen collaborations with internationally recognised designers and increase our presence in the office sector. Heritage is part of who we are, but it is not our final destination," says Dostalík.

Ton chairs perform visually and physically. "Their curves exist because of structural necessity, not decoration. This authenticity translates powerfully into images. Bentwood offers something rare: it is designed to be lived with for decades, not just captured for a moment," he emphasizes.

The brand bridges the past and present, craftsmanship and modern technology, classic and contemporary, love and longevity. It's design you can travel for, and is that not something special.