I recently acquired three Fritz Hansen vintage fabric Egg Chairs and five smaller side/lounge chairs, and would like to have them restored/reupholstered. The fabric and foam interior are in rough shape. Would this be worthwhile? How would this affect the authenticity of the chair? Also, are there any "authorized" repair facilities in the northeast region of the US? These chairs are believed to be from the 1960's . Any info would be great.
Thanks
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You could talk to
BK Upholstery near Philadephia. I've never dealt with them personally but I think they have a pretty good reputation. They actually list their rates online for certain items, including the Egg chair.
http://bkupholstery.com/reupholstery
Yes, it's worth it.
You'll have a chair worth thousands when it's done. Reupholstery in the right fabric with the right techniques and new foam won't lower the value that much. All original in great shape is always best BUT these were done in latex foam and it's very, very rare to find one where the foam isn't dried out. Latex foam just does that after a few decades of exposure to air.
Looks like Maharam/Kvadrat "Tonica" fabric on that chartreuse-y one. You can get that exact fabric still, if you're interested.
I've seen BK's work before
and I've even handled one redone by them. They do decent work, but they seem to do them to the current Frtiz Hansen specs which are different than what they were originally. If you look at vintage chairs, part of the appeal to me is the leanness and crispness of the design. Notice on this black vintage example which is 100% original and unaltered. See how lean the chair is and how thin it is at the arms and "wings"? If you are reupholstering a vintage chair and want that original look, you can't just use sheet goods when applying the foam. It has to be sculpted to varying thicknesses.
An example of one reupholstered
This white chair has been redone very well in my opinion. The headrest could be a little more pronounced, but that is largely due to the different lighting in our photos.
Notice also the two seams that run under the seat cushion and down to the bottom. They should be just inside and under the seat cushion, not outside where they are visible.
Lastly, I think BK and others use .25" foam on the back of the chair where vintage originals have dense felt. That is why the back of an old egg chair is not hard and crunchy like the front can become.
Cost Estimation
Thank you for the responses I very much appreciate your knowledge an help. I want to see these chairs restored and am expecting to pay anywhere from 800-1200 per chair but want to know if that leaves me any room to make money on resale and if so where is the best venue to market these chairs. I have three egg chairs and five pot chairs all Fritz Hansen and all fabric, no leather.
Thanks
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