The Bauhaus Style in 5 Key Points

Simple and practical forms summarize the Bauhaus style well. Founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar in 1919, this movement created design classics that are still appreciated today. Why not adopt this essential vintage style for your interior decor? Discover Bauhaus and its functional German minimalist principles!

Characteristics of the style

What is the Bauhaus style? Its main characteristics are cubic or square forms, functional and devoid of ornamentation. Bauhaus design classics represent a minimalist, timeless, and simple style that remains influential today.

Warm, woolly fabrics add a welcoming and cozy feel to Bauhaus-style homes. Typical houses feature flat roofs, rows of windows, glass, straight lines, and geometric architecture in solid white. The Masters' Houses of the Bauhaus in Dessau perfectly illustrate this architectural style.

How to decorate a house in the Bauhaus style?

To decorate your interior according to the Bauhaus style, follow these principles:

Simplicity

The great masters created simple, functional furniture with classical beauty. Glass and metal are key materials.

Natural

Contemporary elements are often combined with natural materials such as wood, stone, slate tiles, and leather.

Practicality

Interior decoration is reduced to highly functional essential elements, while maintaining a high-end style.

Bauhaus colors

The Bauhaus also stands out for its colors. Johannes Itten's color wheel focuses on a limited spectrum: red, lemon yellow, cobalt blue, black, and white. The Bauhaus style uses entire rooms in coordinated colors, not just limiting itself to colorful accessories. For an alternative to red, blue, or yellow walls, use stencils or wallpaper with geometric shapes like triangles, circles, or squares. Colorful Bauhaus tapestries are also an option.

Bauhaus-style lamps, tables, and chairs

Bauhaus-style furniture and accessories are characterized by straight lines and classic cantilever armchairs. The chrome tubular structure is iconic and can be found in modern sofa and armchair models.

Bauhaus lamps, such as the "Wagenfeld WG24" and the "Kaiser Idell 6631," are industrial design icons with their glass shades and metal bases. Cantilever chairs symbolize the Bauhaus era, and tables with bent steel rods complete the look.

The founders of the Bauhaus

The Bauhaus was created by Walter Gropius in 1919 in Weimar to combine art, architecture, and craftsmanship. Hannes Meyer succeeded Gropius in 1928. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is also a famous representative of the Bauhaus.

The movement revealed great artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, who taught at the Bauhaus from 1922 to 1933. Lyonel Feininger, master printmaker in Weimar until 1925, and Paul Klee, who directed various workshops, also left their mark on the Bauhaus. László Moholy-Nagy, a Hungarian painter and photographer, published the famous Bauhaus books with Gropius.