Elegance describes the designs of Jan Vanek.
Influenced by his family’s furniture company, Vandek studied woodworking. Following a stint in Germany, where he advanced his skills at established firms in Munich, Stuttgart and Heilbronn, he returned home to the former Czechoslovakia and took over the family business, which in 1920 became known as Spojené Uměleckoprůmyslové Závody, or UP Závody.
Vanek's early friendships and collaborations with architectural and design greats like Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Adolf Loos and others likely had much to do with his graceful style, best exemplified by his 1930s bentwood chairs, with the arabesque curves of their arms and legs conjoining to form open, dynamic loops.
True to Czech standards for uniformity, Vanek scarcely altered the design over decades of production, though he did gradually modernize his frames: His 1950s models are more angular, industrialized — and very definitely modern.
Find a collection of vintage Jan Vanek furniture today on 1stDibs.
Completely Restored Czech Beech Midcentury Cheslong Sofa/Bed, Jan Vanek, 1950s
By Jan Vanek
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Sofa - Bed, midcentury Source: Czechoslovakia Period: 1950 - 1959 Material: Beech Completely restored.
Wood, Beech
Czech Midcentury Brown Beech Sofa by Jan Vanek, New Upholstery, 1950s
By Jan Vanek
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Midcentury beech sofa Material: Beech Completely restored. New upholstery, Source: Czechia (Czechoslovakia) Period: 1950-1959.
Fabric, Wood, Lacquer, Upholstery, Beech
$4,421
H 34.45 in W 89.77 in D 37.8 in
Mid-Century Modern Light Pink Italian Sofa, 1950s, New Upholstery
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Light Pink Italian Sofa, 1950s, New Upholstery
Fabric
Midcentury Italian Large Curved Sofa, 1950s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful Italian 20th century vintage curved four-seat sofa composed of six splayed polished legs, large wing shaped arms and a statement high back in the style of Ico Parisi. Rare...
Fabric
1950s Italian 2-Seater Sofa , Restored
Located in Praha, CZ
- Newly upholstered in Velvet fabric - Sturdy and stable
Fabric, Upholstery, Velvet
1950s Sofa with Houndstooth Upholstery
By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley
Located in Highland, IN
This wonderful sofa has a design reminiscent of Edward Wormley's work for Dunbar, and a quality construction to match. The clean lines and subtle details allow the form to be the per...
Upholstery, Wood
$3,630 / set
H 29.93 in W 24.02 in D 31.5 in
Jan Vanek's curved easy chairs curved oak, canvas and original upholstery 1950s
By Jan Vanek
Located in Almelo, NL
Jan Vanek's pair of two curved easy chairs with curved oak, canvas, and original upholstery, CZ 1960s Jan Vanek's pair of two curved easy chairs, crafted from oak and featuring wove...
Canvas, Upholstery, Oak
Italian Sofa Bed, 1950s
Located in Wolfurt, AT
This Italian sofa bed was designed in the 1950s. The shapes lend elegance and modernity to the otherwise quite minimalist design. The seat is foldable...
Iron
$1,975
H 30.32 in W 25.6 in D 29.53 in
Jan Vaněk Attributed Bentwood Lounge Chair, 1940s Czech Functionalism
By Jan Vanek
Located in Almelo, NL
Jan Vaněk Attributed Bentwood Lounge Chair, 1940s Czech Functionalism This sculptural bentwood lounge chair, attributed to influential Czech designer Jan Vaněk, exemplifies the clea...
Upholstery, Hardwood
$2,316
H 38.98 in W 52.37 in D 29.14 in
1950s, Danish 2-seater sofa, green furniture velour, beech wood.
Located in Tarm, 82
1950s, Danish 2-seater sofa. Original striped green furniture velour, beech wood legs, springs in the seat. Original good condition: no smells, no stains and stable construction. Man...
Velvet, Beech
$3,930 / set
H 35.04 in W 24.81 in D 37.41 in
Pair of Sculptural Ashwood Lounge Chairs by Jan Vaněk, Czech Republic, 1960s
By Jan Vanek
Located in Almelo, NL
Pair of Sculptural Ashwood Lounge Chairs by Jan Vaněk, Czech Republic, 1960s A sculptural pair of ashwood lounge chairs by Jan Vaněk, Czech Republic, 1960s. Strong architectural lin...
Ash
$9,980
H 32 in W 75 in D 34 in
Italian Midcentury D-70 Sofa / Bed by Osvaldo Borsani & Tecno, New Upholstery
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in New York, NY
An important statement in the history of Modern design: the Italian Mid-Century Modern D 70 sofa, couch or bed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. Tecno was one of the ...
Brass, Steel
Midcentury Sofa Bed Vono Orange
Located in Otley, GB
A fabulous midcentury 1950s sofa & sofa bed. The three seater sofa is comfortable, was manufactured by British Vono, a company founded in 1896 in Tipton, Staffordshire. The sofa is a...
Fabric, Wool
1950s Daybed, Guest Bed
Located in Neuss, NW
Rare daybed from the 1950s. High-quality solid teak frame with the original colorful nylon covering. The original spring core has been reupholstered and covered with a high-quality f...
Fabric, Nylon, Teak