Tafelstuhl

The top rail is made from two steam-bent solid pieces of wood positioned one on top of the other. This refined technique for bending wood is still used today for curved rear chair legs, as it, on the one hand, shows off the beautiful meandering of the wood’s natural grain and, secondly, significantly stabilises the chair legs. Without the addition of cross stretchers and spindles, etc. and having a seat made of traditional cane mesh with an arched front apron, this classical chair appears surprisingly light and open. (Source: Sabine Thümmler, “immer modern”, Design Classics, published by Sandstein Verlag).

The removable seat pad with elegant saddle stitches, an in-house creation from Lucas Schnaidt Möbelmanufaktur, makes it even more comfortable and protects the valuable handwoven mesh.

In 1990, when Berlin became the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany and Bellevue Palace became the residence of the Federal President, Lucas Schnaidt Möbelmanufaktur was given the honourable commission to manufacture the seating. The fact that the TAFELSTUHL II model by Karl Friedrich Schinkel was selected was decided by the then Federal President himself, Richard von Weizsäcker. The Tafelstühle, in their padded version upholstered with woven horsehair, still distinctly decorate the prestigious interior of the Schinkel Saal in Bellevue Palace, and are regularly used for official occasions held by the head of state.

Lucas Schnaidt Möbelmanufaktur was recently granted permission to restore these sophisticated chairs; looking like new, they have once again become ambassadors for German furniture.