I have a mid 60's Knoll Tulip set that I think could benefit from a new paint job: the bases are fine so I wouldn't touch them but the shells have yellowed with time slightly more than I'd care for - also, the paint on the edges, underneath the table top, has started flaking/peeling...yesterday I took my Bertoia side chairs to a local industrial paintshop that's been in business for about 40 years (if that's supposed to tell something) and they said they could refinish the Tulips as well, no problem. I would like to give them chairs back their original sheen and tone (not too keen on the high gloss finish Knoll currently uses), so I was just wondering if the fiberglass parts on the vintage Tulips were initially as white as the bases, or is there a special 'correct' color code available for the shells..also, do you think refinishing the laminated table top would be a good idea (again, the guy in the paintshop said sure wouldn't be a problem either..)? So if any of you guys has experience of restoring Tulips, I'd be grateful for any advice...cheers!
The gel coat used for the...
The gel coat used for the tulips was tinted white, so you might try cleaning the chairs *carefully* with acetone or mineral spirits. I've also used chrome bumper polish. It takes a lot of elbow grease, but you'll be surprised at how well they can come out. You'll get a good idea of what the color should be too. If you paint the chairs, they'll look like painted chairs...they won't look original.
If you really must paint them, you should be prepared to do the bases as they have certainly changed color over time. I read at the link below that you should take them to an auto shop that specializes in powder coating (like ones that work on corvettes). She states that you can get a close match with Sherwin Williams Linear White.
fm
http://www.purecontemporary.com/asktheexpert/question/12
Fungus...why are the new ones so super glossy
and the vintage ones are the nicer flat white?
Those current super glossy versions look almost like plastic; the flat white vintage ones have a warm metallic quality to them!
(By the way,at the current Saarinen exhibition here at the Walker Art Center (Mpls), they have current models and the gloss is almost hideous.
Well, I've owned a couple of...
Well, I've owned a couple of refinished Tulips in the past which had been refinished beautifully in slightly tinted/off-white color and had very authentic looking sheen on them so I have to disagree here: it can be done..I realize I have kinda answered to my own question here and I need to take my chairs to that very same paintshop where I know those chairs were refinished at - it just means an extra one hour drive but I guess it would be worth it..
But I was just wondering if the tone was really slightly off-white on the shells in day one, while the alu bases still look plain white to me..ie. were the vintage Tulips 'two tone' by design, unlike the current ones?
Also has anybody here had luck refinishing a laminated table top, or is re-laminating an option here (or maybe should keep it the way it is, doesn't look that bad after all)...anyway, thanks for your input already!
barrympls, I think they...
barrympls,
I think they just used a flat pigment on the old chairs. They may or may not have coated the chairs after the fact...I suspect not. The new ones look like they apply a gloss-coat over the chairs...I don't know for sure as I haven't looked at one up close in awhile.
J.J.,
I have a refinished tulip side table that looks pretty good precisely because it was painted in a flat paint BUT those are not fiberglass. I suppose you could paint a fiberglass chair with a flat paint and it will look pretty good, but it won't fool anyone who knows tulips. According to the source I quoted above, "linear white" by Sherwin Williams is a close match. This is a flat finish. They make it for powder coating or spraying. See the attached link.
The laminate is pretty hard to do, but you could probably have the old laminate stripped off and a new one applied. It would be costly. I have a few nelson side tables with some minor chips in the laminate, but you hardly notice them, so I never bothered to paint, fill, or other wise fix them.
midcenturymatt,
I'm not sure how much this costs, but I'm pretty sure you'd want to do have several things powder coated in one shot...a bulk of the cost is in the setup. If you have 6 chairs, do all of the bases at the same time. Make sure they use the same color for the fiberglass shells (which would need to be painted normally). Any auto shop could fix cracks in the fiberglass, but the trick is finding one that wants to deal with it.
fm
http://www.rapidsheetmetal.com/powder_coating.aspx
FungusMungus, thanks for the...
FungusMungus, thanks for the info - at this point I think I'll end up refinishing only the underside edges of the table top as there are no chips or noticeable scratches on the top...a few months ago I had a chance to compare side by side the refinished chairs to my ones in original condition, and really the only difference I could tell was the patina of the originals, so these guys gotta be onto something :)..so I'm not concerned about the chairs losing the original looks in the process, especially if the bases are left untouched; my main concern was if the color of the fiberglass shell was supposed to match the base which still, after 45 years or so, looks very white to me (not tinted)...
Thanks again for your input, I'll check the link for your suggestion for the color..cheers!
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