About the Chairs

The chairs are distinguished by their unusually low, relaxed proportions and strong architectural construction. Substantial oak frames are combined with seats and backrests woven from deep red jute straps, creating a striking contrast between the dark timber and graphic webbing.

Broad armrests, gently angled seats and open geometric frames give the chairs a robust yet carefully balanced presence. Conceived for informal seating beside a fireplace or window, their restrained materials and functional character closely reflect the approach to furniture found throughout the interiors of Loos and Kulka.

Offered as an original matching pair, they are rare surviving examples of Central European interior design from the early 1930s.

Design & History

Closely related versions of this chair are documented in several important interiors created by Adolf Loos, including the music room of the Hugo Semler Apartment and the Josef Vogl Apartment in Pilsen, Villa Müller in Prague and the Khuner Country House in Payerbach, Austria.

Loos carefully selected and positioned furniture according to the purpose and atmosphere of each room. Chairs of this type were frequently placed beside fireplaces or large windows, creating intimate places for rest and conversation within the wider architectural composition.

Heinrich Kulka, Loos’s close collaborator and later his biographer, also used a related version in House No. 49 at the Vienna Werkbundsiedlung.

Although chairs of this type are closely associated with the work of both architects, their precise authorship has not been conclusively documented. This pair is therefore attributed to Adolf Loos and Heinrich Kulka, with manufacture attributed to the renowned Viennese furniture maker Friedrich Otto Schmidt.

Why We Like Them

What makes these chairs particularly compelling is the balance between their powerful architectural construction and remarkably relaxed proportions. The deep red woven straps bring colour, texture and a graphic rhythm to the substantial oak frames.

Their close relationship to furniture documented in the interiors of Adolf Loos and Heinrich Kulka gives the pair considerable historical interest, while their survival together and in such original condition makes them especially unusual.

They are chairs with genuine presence - important enough for a design collection, yet comfortable and characterful enough to remain part of an everyday interior.

Dimensions

Dimensions of each chair

Width: 56 cm
Depth: 68 cm
Height: 71 cm
Seat height: 29 cm

Details

Quantity: One pair
Period: Circa early 1930s
Designers: Attributed to Adolf Loos and Heinrich Kulka
Manufacturer: Attributed to Friedrich Otto Schmidt, Vienna
Materials: Oak and woven jute straps

Delivery & Returns

The bedside tables will be carefully packed and shipped from our studio in Brno, Czech Republic.

EU shipping: €220, confirmed at checkout

We also ship worldwide using trusted international couriers. Please contact us for a tailored shipping quote outside the EU.

EU customers have a 14-day right of withdrawal. Please see our Terms & Conditions for full details.

If you would like to check anything before ordering - from condition and dimensions to deliver - Martin and Amy are always happy to help before and after your purchase.