apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Of course they're worth restoring, even of not from a purely $$$ standpoint, but because you'll end up with a matched pair of beautiful chairs that have character and style that are impossible to purchase new, plus you'll have the personal accomplishment of finding a great deal and having them redone.

(Frankly, I'd buy all 8 and have them all redone - then sell the ones I don't need to help pay for the keepers.)

I think this sort of depends on how you define 'worth it'. If you do the reupholstery yourself you might not be able to resell them for very much. If you pay someone to restore them to original condition, you still might not be able to resell them for the cost of the chairs plus the cost of the restoration.

But that's only one way of defining worth. I find that I get a lot of satisfaction of having something beautiful in my home that I've helped to create. And I enjoy doing things like painting or sewing or upholstery so the time is something I consider well-spent. If that's the perspective, then it's worth it as long as you have/can acquire the technical skills to make it look good. The seat upholstery looks simple enough for a first time DIY. Not sure what the cost for recanning would be in your area, but I think these chairs could look really great in your home with some TLC.

Dan!!! it is a very very easy project. caneing comes already done per yard or roll. look up Rockler.com you will find it there. and the seat well just unscrew it from the bottom the seat comes out and recover it and put it back on. easy!!!

dan -

this chair is THE DESIGN that risom chose to be seated in during a famous playboy photo shoot of midcentury designers (dwr uses the photo as a mural in some of their stores and in print material). so while not in production currently, he felt strongly about it. they are both iconic and not so mass produced as to lose impact.

pairs are easily $1000 restored in midcentury stores. i've seen a set of 6 sell for $6900 on 1stdibs, with leather seats and backs, $8500. i know because i follow this form and own a set of six myself...purchased over two years of online shopping as singles, and luckily before i saw the photo mural. i can't count the number of house guests who have asked me "who designed those?"

caning isn't too difficult and if farmed out will run you at most $100 per chair, and the reupholstery is an easy diy, unless you're talking about identically matched stripes, (which is what i plan to do with mine once i find the perfect fabric).

did say go for it. i have.

Thanks for all the responses. I've come to realize that regardless of price or restoration costs, these are chairs that I am genuinely fond of. And I think it will be a worthwhile learning experience since I plan to do the restoration myself.

Thanks for the positive reinforcement, I wanted to be sure I wasn't being ripped off and paying for a designer name on a commonplace piece of furniture. On a side note though, they do seem to be quite cheap!

Also, anyone know where to get good fabrics? I'm not worried about finding original or period correct patterns, I'm restoring the chairs to use in my home, not to resell.

Dan

I'm really liking the fabric at www.tonicliving.com.
Search "upholstery" to get the upholstery weight selections.
I'm also a big fan of Calico Corners.
Etsy seller fabricworm has a good selection, too.
have fun!

I second Calico Corners -- but if you can, go to several branches. We found something we liked, but just so-so -- then at another location ran into something that was perfect. Especially for chairs, when you don't really need a large amount -- there will be different options at different locations.

eBay has a great selection of high end fabrics at really great prices. You really can't beat the deals as high quality fabric can run into the hundreds of dollars a yard and the exact same thing can be found on eBay at an 80% discount. Try searching Knoll or Maharam under Crafts. There is a subcategory for upholstery fabric.

Just to give you an idea of the deals, I recently snagged a 13 yard bolt of Pollack mohair for $390. It retails to the trade for $2400 .

Another great source for discounted Maharam and Knoll upholstery textiles is Modern Fabrics. I've ordered from them, and the customer service is stellar -- don't hesitate to call or ask for a swatch. Even though they are selling remnants, they often have large quantities (I just bought a 10 yard bolt) in stock.

p.s. I would also buy the whole set, personally. $400 for 8 beautiful Risom chairs? Wow.