Vienna, Austria
Helen Thonet of the esteemed Thonet furniture family and Florian Lambl, former art director at Italian brand Mattiazzi, came together “over a mutual passion: how to fill the current gap in the design world.”
Specifically, they wished to tackle the gap in the market for timeless furniture made sustainably and offered at reasonable prices. It seems a humble goal, one that took them three years to achieve—to “study the market, explore historical archives, collaborate with contemporary designers and find the world’s best manufacturers.”
TYP’s mission is the democratization of quality through efficient design.
Optimum efficiency is achieved by the production methods and acquisition of supplies, which results in a wide range of durable products at fair prices.
“Typ” is a delicately chosen word that addresses a variety of notions and plays a fundamental role in the activities of TYP as a design brand.
The word “archetype” derives from the Latin noun “archetypum.” It means “first-molded”—a compound of arché: beginning, origin, and týpos: pattern, model, or type.
The short form “type” especially in Central Europe, is a term for products manufactured in many different configurations.
The colloquial usage of “typ” stands for a living being, or things that are driven by an independent emphasized character.
Starting from these premises, Thonet and Lambl found great designs from the past, which formed the basis for TYP, with the aim to “bring design history into the future.”
TYP’s new inaugural collection features a chair and lounge seat designed in the 1920s by Bauhaus legend Erich Dieckmann, a 1930s tubular steel chair originally made by Practical Equipment (PEL) and now re-engineered by Jasper Morrison, and a Cini Boeri sofa that was the late Italian architect’s last design project, created in 2019.
Originally designed in the 1920s, Dieckmann’s D1+ chair combines a gently curved back with a straight-lined structure, while the D2 chair is slightly more daring and of-the-Bauhaus-moment; the seats are offered in wickerwork leather or textile upholstery and wood.
Even the recently conceived pieces, designed especially for the brand, have a classic feel.
For instance, a piece designed by Italian designer Cini Boeri in 2019, before her death the following year, is part of the collection: the Bacone sofa, available in various sizes, exudes geometric purity.
Jasper Morrison’s PEL is directly inspired by the sturdy, stackable steel chairs produced by Practical Equipment Ltd (PEL) in the 1930s.
Similarly, Klemens Schillinger’s Tube reintroduces an icon: the tubular aluminum chairs ubiquitous on outdoor cafes.
Both Morrison and Schillinger present their collections in bold colorways.
TYP also worked with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation to exclusively release three pieces by Josef Albers: an iconic lounge chair from 1928, as well as a 1930 daybed and a pouf – the first time that furniture by the Bauhaus designer is accessible to a broad audience.
TYP also offers Bauhaus-influenced silkscreen prints by Mike Meiré.
Most great designs, observed TYP’s founders, are sold at a premium price, indirectly encouraging a market based on replicas.
With its pricing, they explain, they hope to take away the need to search for the cheaper imitation of an original.
Following this launch, Thonet and Lambl plan to expand the brand into a wider lifestyle territory and collaborate with other manufacturers.
Project: TYP’s Inaugural Collection
Designers: Erich Dieckmann, Klemens Schillinger, Jasper Morrison, Cini Boeri, Josef Albers, and Mike Meiré
Manufacturer: TYP Distribution & Design GmbH
