Q: I picked up these two chairs for $24. Anyone know about the maker? The backs are 29 1/2" high, and the seats appear to be original vinyl on wood and can be removed and reupholstered. One diagonal back rod appears to be missing, but the other poorly-aligned back bar appears to be original and not a repair. The four braces on each leg are made of wood (and painted black). Any ideas on refinishing them?
I'm thinking it'd be best to just re-spray black, and maybe re-upholster in a boomerang pattern? Plus again, any ideas on the maker?
Sent by Rick
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Clean, spray black, and reupholster the seats in red.
$24? Love it.
I would reupholster the seats, though I'm not sure I would paint them just yet. I saw these on Etsy and wonder if they are cousins to yours . . .
http://www.etsy.com/listing/103888119/pair-of-mid-century-sculptural-chairs
I like your idea of spray-painting them black. A very shiny black would work best, imo.
As for upholstery, I would go for a pattern. Something art-deco. Like.... black with gold. Or red. But definitely some sort of graphic print would really wake up the chairs but that would look like a natural fit for the chairs, which are quite striking. A great find, I must say.
I like the worn quality. Would leave it myself and grab a couple of lambskins from IKEA and use those to reupholster. A little softness with the worn metal and wood.
I wonder if the backs might have been upholstered originally, so they looked something like the seats. That misaligned but original rod would have been hidden then and so it wouldn't have mattered.
Not recommending that you upholster them, though. They are cool the way they are.
Clean them up. Matte black spray paint would be the most authentic, but if you are going to spray paint them (which is easily repainted over whenever you want) I would consider a bright orange or green. With the white seats, that would be fun. If the seats are not working for you, how about doing something lush like a thick white terry cloth? Or a Jonathan Adler type print? I think I want these chairs to feel like they belong on a patio in Palm Springs.
I have a similar-style, similar-material ice cream parlor chair. I'm willing to bet that your chairs were at one point some sort of ice cream parlor/cafe chair.
I have some similar chairs, too. The rod design on the back is heart-shaped, and the seats are wooden. They came with a matching table, and I was told by the seller they were from a 50's ice cream parlor. Not comfortable at all to lean against for long, but very cute, nonetheless!
Sand down everything, oil the wooden parts, paint the metal black or leave it and then upholster the seats but leave the original vinyl underneath the new fabric. Pick a sturdy fabric you really enjoy and don't be afraid to be daring - you can always change it later.
Thank you for the good suggestions. The frames are rusty enough to require some sanding and repainting. Prefer to keep the seats vinyl; it'd be great to find a colorful Mondrian or fifties design but that may be tough. The misaligned rod took care of itself when the chair tipped over & the rod came loose at the top & bottom points & I'll re-glue it in the proper spots. I agree they were probably part of an ice cream or patio set & no, not all that comfortable!
I would wrap the wire backs and legs in either rope (for a more natural look) or colorful yarn and knit a matching cushion cover. I think the hard edges of the chairs juxtaposed with knitting/textiles would be an interesting look.
you could always use oilcloth to reupholster the seats. i'm sure you would be able to find a fun pattern at a very affordable price. and, like vinyl, oilcloth is super easy to keep clean.