I think you've answered your own question... so I'd say sell them to someone who likes them as they are, and find something that suits you without an overhaul.

Mid century chairs are often low like that. In my view, whatever you might do to beef up the seats will make their proportions look odd. If they were authentic chairs by the likes of Hans Wegner, Erik Worts, or Erik Buck, you'd spoil them with any change you made. As it is, they're nice chairs, and probably still better left alone.

I agree with Bronwynsmom. Sell those chairs and buy what you like. Most MCM teak tables look great with all kinds of modern chairs.

I agree with bronwynsmom, those are quite lovely chairs, many people would love to have them as is. Given that they are in good condition, I would sell them, let someone else love them as they are. You should get something that works better with your space.

Well, thanks for the info and for causing me to look further. They are Hans Wegner chairs.

I was initially surprised by the unanimous responses given others frequently suggest reupholstering chairs and such but it doesn't feel right to redo these. Thanks!

That's a lovely set, and any MCM fan would jump at them. I would try to sell the table and chairs as a set and then put the money toward something that works better for you.

You aren't anywhere near Birmingham, Alabama, are you?

Thanks for the nice compliment jakabedy. They are in fabulous condition. I swear the set was used no more than 50-100 times in the 50 years my parents had it. And sadly, no, I'm not near Birmingham. :( Wish I were if you are interested. I'm a long way from there - in Southern California.

Oh I wish you were near me! You will have no problem selling Wegner chairs. Really lovely. Sigh.

uh.... So Cal???? Please tell me where - my son is there and he would LOVE these if you are serious about selling. You can email me through Garden Web if you'd like - truly, I'd love to help him get these.

Deb

MMMM - I wonder if I could get them across the border?

Funny but if this were jewelry or silver I would have researched it and realized what I had. I did do that and found a few gems (Georg Jensen silver and a few other things) in amongst the not worth much stuff.

As for this furniture, I knew this was good well-made furniture, but I had no idea it was by a known designer given that my parents were humble/low-key/not name-brand type of people. I guess I shouldn't admit that in addition to the dining table and chairs, I inherited a rectangular entry/coffee/cocktail table, a round coffee table, an armchair (maybe called a cigar armchair now that I'm doing some research), and two end tables. All are teak and danish made. Haven't found designer names on all of them but haven't really looked yet. Quite the haul I guess. =) The only things I'm thinking of selling at the moment are the 4 dining side chairs. But, even those I'll probably wait a few months. I have a new home being built out of state and will keep them for now but most likely sell them before I move. That will be toward the end of this year/beginning of next year. They haven't poured the foundation yet! :)

Well, shut my mouf! They really ARE Hans Wegner chairs. So much for my allegedly educated eye.

But I'm very glad you discovered that they're more valuable than you might have thought! A collector will be thrilled to get them.

Is there a label on the table? And thank goodness you found the Wegner imprint. You'll be able to get something very nice with those that works better with your colors.

Is there any mosaic or tile involved on the tops of the coffee and other tables, perchance?

The chairs are in amazing condition! I normally do not care for rush seating, but those are spectacular.

They are just showing "Scandinvian Style" on the Today show featuring some Hans Wegner chairs, not this particular style, though.

Have to run to work, but yes flyleft, there is mosaic on the rectangular entry/coffee table. I call it an entry table because that's where my parents had it all those years, but I think it is a coffee table. I'll try to post a pic later. What could the mosaic mean?

Thanks for all the comments. I had no idea... :)

Whoa. You win the prize!

Here is a link to a set of six HW chairs like yours -- $4500 for the set, but this set has been refinished, which significantly diminishes their value. Yours are... pristine. Amazing.

Here is a link that might be useful: chairs

Pics of the items. Please excuse various dogs and dog parts in pics.

Entry hall/coffee table - 59 1/4" long x 19 1/4" deep/wide x 17" high. Found this info on another website "This Mid-Century Modern teak coffee table was designed by Arne Hovmand Olsen for Mogens Kold.":

One of my dogs fascinated by the underneath part of the table. That, or the camera focus light! (Def the latter. I promise. Like a cat that way.) :)

Stamp on bottom of above table:

Dining table and chairs:

Cigar/armchair:

Coffee table:

Bottom of coffee table - blurry!

Haven't found a stamp on the bottom of the dining table but haven't looked very hard or pulled out the leaves. Also haven't looked on chair.

Pretty stuff. And to think it is 50-60 years old and was in the house, not just on display somewhere. =) We were careful, however, and learned early on not to eat in the living room, not to put our feet on the furniture, to use coasters, and all those things to keep the furniture in good condition. When my cleaning ladies come in and set their water bottles on the wood I cringe and move them to the floor.

As I have thought about this further since my original post, I will probably sell the entry/coffee table with the mosaic and the dining chairs. Next most likely is the armchair, although I'm thinking of using a plum color as an accent in my new house and think that chair would look pretty fun with plum colored cushions. (If anyone is serious about wanting some of the pieces I am in Orange County, California.)

Thanks for your comments and interest. Quite a learning experience for me!

This stuff is amazing! I love the coffee table and the side cigar chair makes me swoon.

We went to an estate sale last fall where the furnishings were bought when the house was built in the late 50's and never left the home. Everything was pristine, and almost all of it was John Van Koert for Drexel.

We are in the Carolinas, but my email is my screen name at yahoo dot com.

You went to my parents estate sale last fall gsciencechick? ;) No, theirs was just over 2 years ago and these items had already been moved to my house. And they aren't all John Van Koert obviously. But, same scenario as you describe - they had their house built in 1955/56 and the items were bought for the house and never left until I moved them to mine just prior to the estate sale two years ago.

But I am thinking of all the items we didn't move to my house and let go in the estate sale... for next to nothing. Oh well... live and learn.

Beeps, I would find an auction house that specializes in the kind of classic authentic midcentury things you have for selling whatever you aren't going to keep. The value will accrue to someone, and it might as well be you!

I don't know where you are, but there's Wright in Chicago, Treadway-Toomey in Cincinnati, and Clarke in Westchester County NY, to name a few.

The stuff we bought was through a local auction house. I had never done an auction in my life, but I went with my parents when I was little. One of my coworkers tipped me off about the estate auction.

If this auction was located in a more trendy neighborhood, we would have never acquired these pieces. There was only one other couple bidding on the "big ticket" items to buy for one of their kids who was getting married to give as a wedding gift.

Since the owner of the home was nearly 100, her "kids" were in their late 60's and early 70's, and they didn't want the home or the contents either. The home was aquired for a steal, too, complete with pink and green retro bathrooms. It was literally a time capsule.

Lol at the time capsule comment. My parents never did the pink and green bathroom thing... thank goodness! And they had updated the baths and kitchen despite my father's favorite line about anything and everything in the house "it looks fine." He was an aerospace engineer, need I say more? =)