Bentwood Rocking Chair — Repair & Refinishing

This classic bentwood rocking chair, in the tradition of Thonet’s pioneering steam-bent designs, arrived at our studio with cracked bentwood elements and a worn finish. The ingenious construction technique that gives these chairs their flowing curves also makes them vulnerable to stress fractures over time.

Our restorers repaired the cracked bentwood components using steam and clamping methods that follow the original manufacturing process. Loose joints were re-glued with period-appropriate adhesives, restoring the structural rigidity that allows these deceptively delicate-looking chairs to support daily use.

The entire chair was hand-sanded and refinished to highlight the beech wood’s smooth grain and the graceful curves that make bentwood furniture an enduring design achievement. The completed rocking chair moves with the fluid, balanced motion its maker intended, combining 19th century innovation with timeless comfort.