Mexican Bauhaus: Wood and Leather Furniture from a Midcentury Master, Reborn

A few weeks back I spent a rainy morning testing chairs in a concrete gallery at the Hotel Americano in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. I was there to see designs by the late Mexican-based, Bauhaus-trained designer Michael van Beuren that had been out of production for 50 years, now revived by contemporary furniture company Luteca, with refined craftsmanship and details that honor van Beuren’s vision. Sebastian Reant, co-owner of Luteca (with his wife Amanda Reant), invited me to “please, sit” in the Alacran chaise (which won MoMA’s Organic Design and Home Furnishing competition in 1941), then the San Miguelito armchair and dining chair, while Mike van Beuren, the grandson of the late designer, told me about visiting his grandfather’s factory as a child, and the family’s fourth-generation house in Mexico, filled with his original designs. Here’s a look at the collection, remade for 2017.

Photography courtesy of Luteca.

For information on ordering, contact Luteca. And for more of their designs, see Elevated Mexican Furniture for the World Market.

More from Mexico:

• Lagos Del Mundo: Mexican Household Classics Reimagined
• MexChic Within Reach: Our 13 Favorite Online Sources for South-of-the-Border Style
• Onora Casa: Traditional Mexican Goods Made Modern