AT:SF, I just purchased 4 Bertoia wire side chairs from Pasternak Antiques. They need a new coat of paint, and I was wondering if anyone knew what colors the Bertoia chairs came in historically, besides white and orange. I've heard they may have come in some other colors briefly. Also if anyone has just seen some Bertoia chairs painted a fabulous color, I would love to see that too!
-Heather
Heather,
Check out this post from last fall.
We're not sure in what colors the chairs were originally available. (And not that you asked, but our preferences are white, black, chrome.) Anyone?
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• Good Questions: How Do I Refinish Bertoia Chairs?
One of the Small Cool entries had them in acid green, I believe. It looked absolutely amazing.
view rhiana's profile
Oh, it was actually a house tour and they were acid yellow! Jennifer B's:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/house-tours/sf-house-tour-jennifer-bs-eclectic-tree-house-045490
view rhiana's profile
ooh acid green.. that'd be HOT
view animalhouze's profile
I think my vote is also acid green. Or maybe each a different color?
view GoddessofPurple's profile
my grandmother's were in pea soup green... i painted them black, as that was the color i wanted them (not worried about historical colors)...
good luck painting them with regular spray paint, if you experience is anything like mine, it might never dry. i ended up using specialty appliance epoxy spray made by rustoleum, it finally got them to dry.
view samuels's profile
Bertoia chairs are not painted. As far as I know, Knoll has always used process that essentially coats the wire frame in a plastic (chrome plating for the silver ones).
I'm not sure what the fix would be if your paint problem is really the plastic coating drying up and flaking off from exposure to the elements. Ideally, all of the existing coating would be sandblasted off the chair and you could maybe have a paint shop apply a baked resin finish in the color of your choice.
Since you will be forever altering the chair with paint to the point that it will never be original, why not just pick a color you really like and enjoy them as uniquely yours.
view austinjohn's profile
Honestly if you need to repaint them whichever color you choose isn't going to "damage" them.
I'd look into having them medium blasted and powder coated.
I'm in the PNW so we have alot of aerospace paint shops. If you do, white would be easy.
That said, auto body or other industrial paint shops could do an awesome durable job for you.
view DahliaCactus's profile
Bertoia chairs should be powder coated, not painted nor spray-painted if you really concerned about being 'historical'.
It used to come in White, Red, Vermillion, Yellow, Royal Blue, Grass Green, Forest Green, Gray, Black, Chrome, Brushed steel etc
http://www.knoll.com/products/product.jsp?prod_id=548
view phase2phase's profile
I agree with Dahlia. Get them blasted and powder coated. Powder coating is a very durable finish and comes in whatever color you want. You could leave them outside in the rain for years and they'll never rust.
view aidaan's profile
White over black can be seen here:
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/design/welcome.htm
This book looks great, like it would have LOTS of info:
http://www.amazon.com/World-Bertoia-Schiffer-Art-Book/dp/0764317989/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212663712&sr=8-1
http://www.arcanabooks.com/INVENTORY_interface/arcanainventory/information.asp?book number=011354
view TRUE BLUE's profile
i work for knoll, we use powder-coated paint. and currently we have them in red, yellow, white, black, green and blue.
view bellaknollie's profile