I came across this little stool on craigslist and did recognize its shape, which I really like, so I bought it with the intention to restore / refinish it - original Artek stool or not. It feels really sturdy, legs are solid wood I think, and it is nice and light.
I did a little early sanding this morning to look for some signs of whether it is authentic and have attached a few photos of what I found. The measurements of the stool are 35 mm across, just under 44 cm tall, and the seat thickness is just under 3 cm.
If this is Alvar Aalto's stool 60 - I'm wondering how to proceed in terms of restoration. Should I be stripping the paint with a chemical stripper to avoid too much sanding? And is there a recommended way of refinishing that is respectful of / consistent with how this would have been finished when it was made? Perhaps this query belongs in the repair section - if so, I will be happy to post there as well. Any ideas or resources you can point me to would be very much appreciated.
And if its not authentic, I will go ahead with carefully refinishing it anyway hopefully with some new ideas for how to go about doing this from this community! Thanks so much.
I'm not an Aalto expert, but the splines within the legs at the curve and the edge banding on the top are pretty good signs this is authentic.
Regarding refinishing, I'd feel confident stripping it (with a chemical stripper) and staining or lacquering it as you like - there are so many finishes these come with I personally don't think you're at risk of doing a disservice to the stool.
I should have said lack of edge banding. The core of the seat is multiple pieces of solid wood, whereas replicas are usually ply.
This will give you an idea of what is offered currently.
https://www.artek.fi/en/products/stool-60#info
I personally like the natural birch legs with a colorful lacquered top. I think it should be lacquer, even if leaving everything natural.
I'd lacquer the legs as well, just a clear lacquer. It will protect the part that will inevitably see some wear.
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