The Chaise Tout Bois is the only chair made entirely of wood by the famous French designer Jean Prouvé. Its shape is very reminiscent of the famous Standard chair, but the metal base was replaced by wood due to the shortage of metal during the Second World War.

Prouvé designed this chair with the idea of reinforcing the transition zone between the seat and the backrest, where the pressure exerted by the body is greatest. The profile of the back legs and the back support reflect this particular attention to load transfer, a recurring feature in Prouvé's designs, both in furniture and architecture.

During the war, Prouvé created several prototypes of this chair to test the solidity of its structure, the joints, the position of the legs and the junction between the seat and the back. The choice of wood depended on the species available at the time. After the war, oak once again became available in sufficient quantities. Its hardness and strength, traditionally used in France for building ships and cathedral roofs, made it the material of choice for the Chaise Tout Bois, made from oak and plywood. A dark stained version was also offered, in response to customer demand.

In 1947, the Chaise Tout Bois won the ‘Meubles de France’ competition, designed to promote high-quality, aesthetically pleasing, mass-produced furniture to meet the needs of post-war society, particularly those of refugees and newlyweds. It was later replaced by a dismountable version, combining metal and wood, which gave rise to model no. 305, known today as the Standard Chair.

The current edition of the All Wood Chair by Vitra is based on a 1941 variant, which requires no screws for assembly. The height and geometry of the seat are identical to those of the Standard Chair, thus meeting contemporary standards. The wood, with its warm appearance, contrasts elegantly with the practical and functional design, a signature of Prouvé's work.

Origin of the wood: solid oak (Quercus robur) from Croatia, veneer from the United States.

Images: Illustrative, as the actual visual aspect has a faithful rendering that images or photos, of varying quality depending on the screen, cannot reproduce identically.