Jan Smidek Armchair

Jaroslav Smidek (1923-2005 Czechoslovakia) is a well-known 20th century Czech furniture designer. He was a contemporary of other great Czech designers such as Jan Vanek and Jindrich Halabala and grew up as the son of a furniture dealer and learned the trade from his father.

TON is the Czech heir to the legacy of Michael Thonet (Austria) and known for its bentwood constructions, who founded a furniture factory in Bystřice pod Hostýnem in 1861 due to the abundant beech forests in Czechoslovakia, then part of the Habsburg Empire. In 1953, the factory was nationalized by the communist Czechoslovak government and the company was renamed TON, an acronym for “Továrna ohýbaného nábytku” (in Czech, “Bentwood Furniture Factory”).

Furniture from furniture manufacturer TON is characterized by straight lines, curved wood and small decorations with an emphasis on functionalist principles. The brand still makes classic and contemporary furniture designs today.