Thanks to design lovers’ enthusiasm for Art Deco and mid-century modern furniture, and the increasingly competitive market for pieces by more famous creators, 20th-century Czech designers are making their way back onto the international stage. Foremost among these talents is Jindřich Halabala.
Halabala was one of the leading designers of a particularly rich period in Czech furniture history, when pieces were defined by Bauhaus functionalism as well as Art Deco influences. He was a cabinetmaker’s son whose training was almost wholly focused on woodwork, first at a state-run vocational school for woodworking in Valašské Meziříčí and later at UP Závody in Brno, where he ultimately became chief designer.
Halabala's alluring bentwood H chairs, such as the H269 and H237, and stylized ottomans have become classics, while his 1930s and 1940s sofas, tables and storage cabinets, with their sweeping curves, stylized geometry and dark, richly grained wood, embody the best of Art Deco furniture design, a style that was brought to worldwide attention at an exhibition in Paris in 1925.
Halabala's work, which was manufactured by the likes of Thonet and UP Závody, is seen by some as the segue between early 1900s Czech Cubism and the modern style that dominated the mid-century years.
Find a collection of vintage Jindřich Halabala furniture today on 1stDibs.
Established in 2006, Morentz has a team of approximately 55 restorers, upholsterers, interior advisers and art historians, making it a gallery, workshop and upholstery studio, all in one. Every day, a carefully selected array of 20th-century furniture arrives from all over the world at the firm’s warehouse, where the team thoroughly examines each piece to determine what, if any, work needs to be done. Whether that means new upholstery or a complete restoration, Morentz's aim is always to honor the designer’s intention while fulfilling the wishes of the client. The team is up to any challenge, from restoring a single piece to its original glory to furnishing a large-scale hotel project.
Jindrich Halabala Square Stool in Decorative Upholstery
By Jindřich Halabala, Up Závody
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jindrich Halabala for UP Závody, footstool, tabouret, ottoman, fabric, beech, Czech Republic, 1930s. This poetic square pouf, designed in the 1930s at the height of the Art Deco mov...
Fabric, Beech
Jindrich Halabala Stool in Decorative Upholstery
By Up Závody
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jindrich Halabala for UP Závody, footstool, tabouret, ottoman, fabric, beech, Czech Republic, 1930s. This poetic pouf, designed in the 1930s at the height of the Art Deco movement, ...
Fabric, Beech
Jindrich Halabala Stool in Decorative Upholstery
By Jindřich Halabala, Up Závody
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jindrich Halabala for UP Závody, footstool, tabouret, ottoman, fabric, beech, Czech Republic, 1930s. This poetic pouf, designed in the 1930s at the height of the Art Deco movement, ...
Fabric, Beech
Jindrich Halabala Stool in Decorative Upholstery
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jindrich Halabala for UP Závody, footstool, tabouret, ottoman, fabric, beech, Czech Republic, 1930s. This poetic pouf, designed in the 1930s at the height of the Art Deco movement, ...
Fabric, Beech
Jindrich Halabala Stool in Decorative Upholstery
By Jindřich Halabala, Up Závody
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jindrich Halabala for UP Závody, footstool, tabouret, ottoman, fabric, stained wood, Czech Republic, 1930s. This poetic pouf, designed in the 1930s at the height of the Art Deco mov...
Fabric, Wood
Jindrich Halabala Stools in Decorative Upholstery
By Jindřich Halabala, Up Závody
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jindrich Halabala for UP Závody, footstool, tabouret, ottoman, fabric, birch, oak, Czech Republic, 1930s. This poetic pouf, designed in the 1930s at the height of the Art Deco movem...
Fabric, Birch, Oak
Art Deco Tabouret Designed by Jindřich Halabala, 1940s
By Jindřich Halabala
Located in Praha, CZ
- has signs of use, - In good original condition, - made of fabric and wood,
Fabric, Wood
Art Deco Tabouret Designed by Jindřich Halabala, 1940s
By Jindřich Halabala
Located in Praha, CZ
has signs of use good original condition
Fabric, Wood
1930s Jindřich Halabala Art Deco Stool with Floral Upholstery, Czechoslovakia
By Jindřich Halabala
Located in Praha, CZ
This elegant Art Deco stool from 1930s Czechoslovakia, attributed to renowned designer Jindřich Halabala, showcases refined proportions and a distinctive floral-patterned upholstery....
Fabric, Wood
Restored Art Deco Stool, by Krásná Jizba, Oak, Reupholstered, Czech, 1930s
By ULUV Krásná jizba
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This stool is a refined accessory from the production of the Czechoslovak Krasna jizba from the 1930s. It represents the late Art Deco aesthetic, which, in the hands of this famous i...
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Oak, Lacquer
Art Deco Tabouret by Jindrich Halabala for Up Zavody, 1940s
By Jindřich Halabala
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made in Czechoslovakia. - Made of wood, fabric. - Good condition, sturdy and stabile. - Cleaned.
Fabric, Wood
Jindřich Halabala Art Deco Stool in Floral Tapestry Fabric, 1930s
By Jindřich Halabala, Up Závody
Located in Prague, New Town
Art Deco stool, designed by Jindřich Halabala. Produced by Spojené UP závody Brno in former Czechoslovakia, 1930s. Recently reupholstered in floral tapestry fabric. Dimensions: Heig...
Fabric, Tapestry, Wood
Gunnel Nyman was known as a glass artist, but this piece is a striking example of her early training in furniture design.
With its grid-like doors and wavy trim, the 1940s design feels as fresh as ever.
