Simple Furniture 
A 
Nachtkästchen Bedside Locker, aus Interieur für 
from the interior furnishings for Dr. Hugo Koller, Wien Vienna 
Entwurf Design: Josef Hoffmann, Wien Vienna, um ca. 1905 
Erle, massiv, Messing, Marmor Alder, solid, brass, marble; MAK H 2873-1/1983; 
Schenkung Donation Hugo Josef Mair 
Nachtkästchen Nr. 23.031 Bedside Locker No. 23.031, 
aus der Garnitur 23.000 from the set 23.000 
Entwurf Design: Gebrüder Thonet, 1911 
Ausführung Execution: Gebrüder Thonet, Koritschan Korycany, um ca. 1912; 
Buche, massiv, Sperrholz, Messing, Marmorplatte Beech, solid, plywood, 
brass, marble top; Sammlung Collection Werner 
Concepts of simplicity and expediency, such 
as deliberate formal reduction or dispensing 
with decorations, Ornaments and other repre- 
sentative forms of expression, have been used 
time and again since the 1800s as a stylistic 
starting point for the design of modern every- 
day objects. Starting from the straightforward 
and geometric basic forms, the economic use 
of the means and the increasing attention to 
the usability led to functional, simple, and 
smooth furniture already in the Biedermeier 
Era. The general renunciation of bronze ap- 
pliques and artistic Ornaments resulted in the 
beauty of the often consistent-and yet still 
comparatively elaborately designed-veneer- 
ed surfaces being emphasized. 1 After the stylis 
tic escapades of Historicism, the simple prod- 
ucts from the Biedermeier Era were again mod 
ern and often served as a point of departure 
for the design of Contemporary everyday ob 
jects at the beginning of the 20th Century. 2 The 
choice of cost-effective materials or a prag- 
matic surface treatment with lacquer paints of 
ten made things even easier, as is demonstrat- 
ed by a small bedside fable by Josef Hoffmann. 
The bentwood furniture manufacturers also in- 
creasingly turned to simple furniture without 
any bent parts to be able to offer complete 
room furnishings-so-called “sets” 3 . In addition 
to larger carcass furniture, these sets included 
smaller types, such as washing Stands or bed 
side tables, whose surface treatment often 
imitated a high quality execution in expensive 
woods such as mahogany. 
1 Cf. Exhib. Cat. Vienna i.a. / Ostfildern 2006: Biedermeier. 
2 Cf. Sebastian Hackenschmidt, “Einfache Wiener Möbel," in: 
MAK/Zine 1, 2012, 8-27. See also Detlev Schöttker (ed.), 
Ästhetik der Einfachheit, Berlin 2019. 
3 Cf. Thonet Catalog, 1904, 105 ff. 
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