The Marcel Breuer Wassily Chair Repair and Restoration

The Marcel Breuer Wassily Chair: A Modernist Icon

The Wassily chair, designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925, is one of the most celebrated examples of modernist furniture design. Created at the Bauhaus school, where Breuer both studied and taught, the chair broke with tradition by using industrial materials like tubular steel, a first in furniture design. Its sleek frame, inspired by bicycle handlebars, set the stage for a new era in design.

Named after Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky, a fellow Bauhaus member and mentor to Breuer, the chair features a minimalist structure with a metal frame and leather straps for the seat and backrest. This design was revolutionary, as it emphasized simplicity, functionality, and the beauty of materials rather than traditional wood or heavy ornamentation.

The Wassily chair’s bold use of metal and clean lines challenged conventional ideas of what furniture should be. Though initially met with skepticism, it soon became a symbol of modernism and continues to be a highly sought-after design classic today. Through its innovation and timeless aesthetic, the Wassily chair remains a hallmark of 20th-century design.

Total Leather Cares Relationship with the Wasily Chair

Our Total Leather Care team has had a close relationship with the Wassily chair since our companies founding in 1988. Everything from leather restoration, maintenance and complete panel replacement has been performed by our craftsman.

As we drift further in time we have found that these chairs are arriving to our shop in increasing severe states of disrepair. Humidity, sunlight and general wear and tear lead to broken straps that cannot be restored as well as chrome that pits or suffers from superficial rust. Fortunately our team is able to create new straps that match the originals down to the stitch, and in most cases the chrome frame can be cleaned of superficial rust and polished back to its former luster.

Due to the intricate design and materials these chairs are extremely, extremely difficult to work on and restore. Depending on the scope of the work most chairs can be restored in about a 3-4 week period. Despite this fact we love our work and would be happy to take on the challenge of bringing your beloved Wassily chairs back to life!