Anyone who can not begin with the term Viennese mesh could first speculate on a yeast particle. Or a delicious nut braid. In fact, it is a design element that is often used in furniture making. Above all, the typical coffee house chair with wooden wickerwork as a seat.
Actually, the wedding of the Viennese braid is already many years ago. But now this design classic is back - with great success.
Trend analyst Gabriela Kaiser from Landsberg suspects the success for this in the longing of many people for traditional values. "The Viennese network radiates a certain value," she says. You have the feeling that you can not go wrong with the purchase.
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Viennese network: light, transparent, sustainableIn the well-known rounded wooden chair with a wicker seat is in the original to the chair 214 by Michael Thonet from 1859. Until 1930, the furniture was sold 50 million copies, not to mention the many copies. The reasons for this are more relevant than ever in the 21st century.
Original from 1859
In addition to its value, it is the simplicity: "The chair as well as other furniture with mesh of fabric or wood fibers fit any conceivable style of living," says furniture expert Ursula Geismann of the Association of the German furniture industry. The furniture usually did not seem bulky.
This is due to the light transparency of the mesh. Designers like Mathieu Gustafsson use this creative trick. He uses the Viennese weave in his Air collection for Design House Stockholm to visually bring some lightness into a larger area. He uses it like "a filter or a veil" that lays in front of the contents of a cupboard or chest of drawers.
Lightweight and sustainable
The design duo Thau & Kallio, on the other hand, appreciate the actual lightness of braided elements - which also makes chairs lighter than with a solid wood panel. In addition, they could be stacked better, said designer Sami Kallio at the presentation of her chair Betty TK1 with a seat made of linen weave for the company & tradition.
The result: The transport costs are lower than for many other furniture. "This is very much in the spirit of sustainability - many people are paying attention to that at the moment," analyzes Geismann. Therefore, it is not surprising that many decorators currently hang furniture with wickerwork from textiles or other materials.
By the way: The sales concept for the original coffee house chair 214 by Thonet in the 19th century was not far away. The chair consists of only six components, ten screws and two nuts. Disassembled several copies could be shipped in a box of only one cubic meter worldwide. It has now been redesigned by design duo Besau Marguerre for an anniversary edition and is available in black, white, velvety red and sage.
The Viennese weave is sustainable in a different way: it is mostly made of rattan and wicker - natural, comparatively rapidly renewable materials. "It is therefore not surprising that three or four years ago the Viennese network was hardly known to anyone, but it is now celebrating great success," emphasizes Geismann.
