This really never happens to me but... it seems ever since I got into design a few months ago, I've been finding design pieces on the curb that people are getting rid of. So I found an entire kitchen set today, table plus 4 chairs. It's just the sort of thing I would have bought on the second hand market for my kitchen, so I'm wondering if I should replace it with the Ikea Fusion set I now have, because its not in perfect shape and it would take a lot to get it there.
Can anyone tell me anything about this piece? e.g. Am I right to assume this is Danish design from the 50's, and the wood is teak? The chairs are super comfortable (the angle of the back is not too tight, the seating is not too hard or soft). Cooler still, the table has a two-part folded leaf tucked underneath with a mechanism that holds and readies it for when needed.
I'm not sure how to go about fixing it. There are two chairs (see pic) where the vinyl is in need of fixing. But its a quality vinyl with a look and feel I like (including the brown trim), and whatever an upholsterer replaces it with, I'm afraid it won't be the same, and will degrade the original character. Is it possible to repair the vinyl seating instead of replacing it? (I know the one where its ripped at the edge won't be easy).
There is also damage to the laminated top, with a few chips and nicks on the sides, and a bit of nicking to the edge of the top (otherwise the surface of the table is fine). Can it be re-laminated with the same quality of laminate, and what should I expect the cost of this to be? (I don't care here if it isn't the same color, as I don't find this color particularly beautiful. The Fusion has a much nicer finish, in this regard. But the backs of the chairs also have a laminate of a slightly darker version of the table's pattern to match the table, so the new laminate can't be too different it seems).
There are a couple of legs that are detaching from each other (see pic). There are 2 metal pieces that join them, but no way to screw them back, so I presume the legs are glued together and supported by non threaded metal rods. Can I repair this myself?
Finally, it was raining today, and the table and chairs got soaked. I dried them upon bringing them in, but there appears to be some damage from the water, where the surface is rougher and lighter in color from the water. I'm sure this can be fixed myself, but the proper steps would be...? (I don't know if there are special considerations for teak, assuming it is, as I've never worked with this wood before). Thanks in advance for sharing any info or opinions.
Seat #1 damage:
Seat #2 damage:
Leg damage:
Chair - side view:
they were put by the curb for a reason...
Well, at leat from the degee of restoration/repair needed, the last owner had a good reason to let it go.
I really doubt they are of danish origin, rather danish style. The laminate gives it away as american mid century trying to be danish.
As far as restoration, teak is easy to work with.
Start by removing all the seats and backs from chairs. Remove laminate from backs of chairs and replace.
Take all chairs apart at all joints and reglue.
Sand all chairs frames down to clean smooth finish, then re-oil. Have all seat upolstery redone.
The table; remove top laminate and renew. Sand and remove all finish from legs and skirt area and re stain, and topcoat with same.
See, a lot of work to be done right, that is why they where by the curb.
depending on your skill level, which if you have to ask if you can do it yourself is probably low, so to pay and have restored corectly plan on spending $500 to 800 for the table and 100 to 200 for each chair.
Good luck!
p.s. if you put back on the curb please leave the address.
SETAG: >>hey were put...
SETAG:
>>hey were put by the curb for a reason... Well, at leat from the degee of restoration/repair needed, the last owner
had a good reason to let it go.
Great to hear! My girlfriend was worried we were stealing it. (It was found outside a dentist's office in the driveway, but one foot away from the sidewalk. But then, I admit I'm not an expert on how far in something has to be before you can make the distinction between private posessions and public trash).
>>I really doubt they are of danish origin, rather danish style. The laminate gives it away as american mid century trying to be danish.
Interesting. I have posted the story of a very similar set that I have, a little while back. In this set, the legs are chromed metal but the top is almost identical. So I guess mid-century American trying to be Danish must have been pretty common in the 50's.
>>The table; remove top laminate and renew. Sand and remove all finish from legs and skirt area and re stain, and topcoat with same.
Wouldn't staining the legs change the original color, especially wrt to the chair wood? Why stain instead of just sanding and oiling? Do I have to be careful about the oil used for teak, ie. is there a recommended type?
>>See, a lot of work to be done right, that is why they where by the curb.
depending on your skill level, which if you have to ask if you can do it yourself is probably low, so to pay and have restored corectly plan on spending $500 to 800 for the table and 100 to 200 for each chair.
Good luck! p.s. if you put back on the curb please leave the address.
Hmmm.... you're making it seem like the set needs a lot more work and is in a lot worse shape than I thought it was.... are you sure you're not making me put a lot more work and money into this thing, just so's I get discouraged and put it back out so you can pick it up? Because just in case you are, I will still give you the address of where I leave it, if I do decide to put it out. I just won't tell you which day it'll be there.
BRENT:
Thanks for your opinion, too. From all that I have surveyed, I have had a hard time finding anything more suitable for me than Ikea's Fusion model, because my kitchen dining area is relatively small, and the Fusion is the only table easily available, who's chairs fit flush when not in use, thus taking only 1.4 metres of space, thus nicely opening up the dining area. I also like the overall look of it a lot (but not the fact that it's from Ikea!). I read that its considered one of the few products they make that doesn't scream "Ikea!" (even the name is un-Ikeaish), and one of their most successful designs ever. In case you're not familiar with this model, there's a photo blurb on this page:
http://www.easylivingmagazine.com/trythisbuythis/Details.aspx?StoryID=37...
limited space for your kitchen table ?
Check out this table from belgian label Colect : see products/b-lined
http://www.colect.be/
whoa, there
If the original finish is oil, you don't have to strip it. Just clean it with Murphy's Oil Soap, rinse well, let dry, sand any raised grain, then apply a new oil finish.
As for the laminate on the tabletop, I think you can just put new laminate on top of the old. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong about this. You'll be able to see the thin edge of the old stuff along the sides, but will that matter? It wouldn't bother me. You will also need a router with a laminate-trimming blade to finish the edge. (Laminate is cut larger, then attached with contact cement, then trimmed neatly.)
The IKEA Fusion set is nice but it has always felt rather flimsy to me. I have seen damaged floor display sets in the AS IS department of the store and even though they get more abuse in the store than they would at home, I thought less of it for that.
Erik.H: Thanks for...
Erik.H: Thanks for introducing that Colect table. Very interesting design. But it wouldn't come close to replacing the Fusion for me. One, you can only fit 2 chairs under the table, I need to fit 4. Two, those 2 chairs look impossibly uncomfortable; flat metal seats and all metal pressing into your flesh, with no cushioning (and I think we can all agree you would kill the whole thing by adding cushions!). Three it would look alien in my kitchen, because its a very cold look, and for this task, I prefer the much warmer feel of the chocolate wood finish on the Fusion set.
Spanky: Yes, there does not appear to be any lacquer or stain, so I assume the original finish is oil. So what's a good oil finish to apply for teak, and is it okay to let it dry in the sun outside, so it dries quickly?
I also gave a lot of consideration to how durable the Fusion would be, while deciding on it. In the Fusion's defense, I have to say the set I have was used in a commercial boutique for a couple of years as a work table, yet it's all in fab condition, so it seems its held up pretty well. It probably receives a lot of abuse at Ikea stores, especially considering how many people go through them. Comparably, the Americo-Danish table mentioned has however, had its laminate finish chip and peel off in various small places (though in its defense, its decades older). Although the Fusion is wood veneer, its very well done, with no "lip" around the edges to pull off the veneer (unlike the laminate on the other table). The Fusion's top is very dense (and thick) fiberboard, and I find it incredibly heavy for its size. This creates a bit of a problem, because top heavy with less than massive legs, and the fact that the legs are not in the corners, means the table is always going to be a bit wobbly (but not to where it falls over or anything).
oil finish
I have used several different oil finishes and have been pretty happy with all of them. Watco is one, Formby is another (satin, not gloss), and there's one that is something like "Behler's"---I forget exactly. Home Depot and Lowe's carry one or two brands. A good woodworking store will have more.
If you put it in the sun to dry, the surface oil will dry way before the oil that has seeped into the wood. This may not be as big a problem as it is with paint, but I would still avoid doing it. You want the solvents to evaporate without the finish forming a film that will seal them in. Pick a dry, breezy day to finish and open all the windows if you can't take the piece outside.
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