what can you tell me about this chair

14 years ago

I'm contemplating redoing it to reflect a 50's diner motif (for resale) it appears to be all wood . The table has a steel base and a formica like top, I'm planning to paint the base a chrome color, to look like shiny chrome. I have purchased red vinyl for the chair.

My dilema is that the frame of the chair is wood and I'm torn on painting it (also to look like chrome, with a metallic spray paint). This is the condition I purchased it in and it definitely needs something.

I dont even know if this is the right forum for this thread, but I figured you guys/gals would have an opinion.

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Comments (8)

Jon1270
14 years ago
There is no such thing as a canned spray paint that looks like chrome. Sometimes they chrome the cap of the can and thereby imply that that's what the finish looks like, but they're intentionally misleading people. Whether you use the stuff is up to you, but it won't ever look like chrome.
rjinga
Original Author
14 years ago
so is there ANYTHING that you can use to give a chrome look?
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Jon1270
14 years ago
On wood? Technically, yes, but it's not even close to practical. You'd spend more fake-chroming one chair than you could sell the whole set for, and the resulting finish would be very fragile.

I say this as a former model maker, with experience in having non-metal objects chromed. I also have a friend who's still in the business, who regularly applies an imitation chrome finish to prototype models. I am fairly current on the limits of available technology, and am very comfortable saying that a realistic, affordable, DIY-able fake chrome does not exist.
rjinga
Original Author
14 years ago
I did find out that this company Shelby Williams Industries

...Shelby Williams soon returned to acquiring other related manufacturers. Purchases included Preview Furniture Corp. in 1985; Sellers & Josephson, Inc., in 1986; Thonet Industries Inc. and King Arthur Corp. in 1987; and Pacific Home Furnishings in 1988
sombreuil_mongrel
14 years ago
After all, it is a Thonet-type chair. He invented the bentwood, mass-produced chair (and other bentwood furniture) which flourished in Vienna 150 years ago.
How about gilding it with dutch-metal leaf? That would look cool and actually add value. Spray paint would diminish the value, IMHO.
Casey
rjinga
Original Author
14 years ago
Casey, I'm wondering if these chairs would have a better chance being sold on their own or with the bistro like table that I bought them with. I have this posted on the decorating forum, to get ideas of how to redo the set. From a furniture point of view, (someone did mention that even during the period these chairs were around, that they might have been found painted black) and painting them black is what I'm contemplating. The base of the table is iron, and I'd give it a freshen up with black, and I'd paint the table top red and reseal it with poly.

here's the set
sombreuil_mongrel
14 years ago
These chairs are still made and sold today. In standard finish (walnut) they are about $80 a piece on the web. Yours aren't old enough to be antique, but aren't new enough to be sold as like new. I think with a good refinishing, you could get the new price for them. Like $200 for the table and two chairs.
Casey
rjinga
Original Author
14 years ago
Dont know if it changes anything, (it might change my mind about painting them) but the red tag on the base of the chair, I just noticed says it's teak. Probably should consider a RAF or something like that or a new stain? rather than paint?

I dont want to devalue them for sure and they dont necessarily have to be sold with the table.