Fantastic, for me, the old stain and aging is what gives it the appeal. I'd do a tung oil over the wood and leave it that way.

Thank you yaya...that is what I am thinking too. The wood on the "new" old chair on the right is beautiful up close and I love the detail on the bottom front trim. It is smooth and needs no sanding at all. What kind/brand do I get of tung oil ? I am glad you chimed in..I need all the reassurance I can get ;)

Any suggestions on how to make them sittable ???

I liked it descontructed, as a sculpture!

I did a curb rescue of a similar chair. It has springs like yours on the back that are covered with a fabric somewhere between canvas and muslin, and bare coil springs in the seat that are pretty comfortable with nothing on them. But I plan to cover them with canvas webbing and make a cushion.

If I do that and lightly pad and cover the back (because the springs have left rust marks on the fabric) I would have one of those deconstructed chairs that Restoration Hardware was selling for big bucks - but isn't that both trendy and over?

I was also thinking of having my daughter do calligraphy in indelible ink on the fabric - which is probably an over trend too, but it IS going in the library/study, and it would co-ordinate well with the color scheme there and the worn look of the chair and my daughter could write lines from our favorite books or poems.

trailrunner, what a couple of beauties! I don't know anything about upholstering although I have sewn on a few buttons in my time. :p

Do you know what kind of wood they are? Do you like it? Is the existing finish okay? If that's the case, I'd say let it speak to you and consider letting it be. I don't know anything about tung oil either, but if you can breathe new life into the wood and it's smooth and touchable (not sticky or gummy), I think that's a good idea.

I advise going easy at first and tackle the piece of wood in the back on the one on the right, then what kind of fabric you want. Presumably, once the upholstery is done, it can be removed should you need a different finish on the wood.

I'm in the final stages of refinishing a modest oak desk. At first I tried gel stain and it didn't go well, in fact, it was a disaster. I had to strip down to bare wood which then allowed me to do a conventional stain/poly. For me, putting a stain on unremarkable wood did an amazing thing: it actually glorified the wood, grain and all. Many people swear by painting or gel staining a piece of furniture (or have no other options). Your chairs have a story to tell.

Please take pics as this project progresses. I sure wish I had those chairs.

I love tung oil (100% tung, not the diluted versions you get at the hardware store). My son refinished the 80-year-old organ at our church with tung oil (after stripping the original finish), and it's gorgeous. It is also very forgiving to work with and non-toxic, though it takes a long time to cure. I take it you aren't in any hurry!

What I especially like about tung oil is that it's true to the age of the chairs. Few of the varnish/poly options available today were around when these chairs were made.

Beautiful! I agree that the frames are so nice now, that I'd want to preserve the wood. I found a YouTube video on re-doing the springs, linked below.

And this blog shows how this funny lady re-did a chair.
http://betsyspeert.blogspot.com/2012/10/how-to-upholster-chair-or-what-did-i.html

They are so great, and DO look nice just as they are!

Here is a link that might be useful: serpentine spring couch repair

What beautiful finds, trailrunner!

I love the finish on each, as is... I might suggest wiping each one down with a damp cloth or cheesecloth. Then, a wipedown with mineral spirits (perhaps take an old toothbrush to get dust/dirt out of the grooves). Then, once completely dry (24 hours or more), wipe with tung oil. We have bare wood pieces in our home that we periodically treat with Minwax Tung Oil finish. The can also states it works on finished wood in good condition and can "restore beauty" to the wood. It will just clean it up and help protect it. It will not change the appearance, other than to perhaps deepen the color a bit, much like a wood cutting board would be deepened after a treatment of mineral oil. Tung oil is safe for indoor use, but it gives off some wicked fumes, so use in a ventilated area.

I have no sewing skills, so I would perhaps look around at local home stores for ready-made cushions. If I couldn't find any, then ask around for a good upholsterer in your area (my go-to upholsterer is a gem that was recommended word-of-mouth, but he's in Chicago).

They are gorgeous! Good luck!

OMG, I love those springs! They are definitely identical cousins.

Great finds! I find it interesting that you know it's a "him". Are they both hims?

Pure tung oil is non-toxic - it is safe for food use. Tung oil mixtures can contain harmful additives.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tung oil

Nice find. Reupholstery is tricky to get look right without practice. I suppose you can try, and if you don't like it, get it done professionally.

mnt...that is how the chair on left has been used for several years. Now with two...DH actually loves them and wants to use them !! So I have to be proactive. Thank you for agreeing with my 1st instinct.

birdgardener can you please post pics ???? What a great idea. These will go in the library area in the upstairs attic space so I would love to see what you are doing.

linelle thank you for sharing what you did. I wish you would post pics too !! So regular stain is different than gel stain...hm...will have to see about that as a possible idea. I do love the finish they have now and no I don't know the wood. You can see where there are places with no finish as it was covered I believe with upholstery in the past. I would need to do something with those places or cover with cloth/upholstery. I am glad you chimed in !

ann,,,thanks for the thoughts. I didn't know "real" tung was different from the Formby's stuff in Lowes. How did you guess I am not in a hurry :) ?thank you for the link .

m3d..thank you for the link. I shall have a look and see what I can do towards getting them back to being usable. I love the deconstructed look too...but as I said to mnt...one really can only have so many unfinished projects !! I don't want my friends to think I am strange LOL !

peony..thank you for the suggestions. I have a wonderful and talented upholsterer it is just so expensive and also I really wanted to at least get the bones fixed and maybe the innards and then turn the fabric over to him. I shall look into what you suggest too . Thank you ! Could I just use the Boos beeswax/mineral oil stuff that I have instead ?

ded...you are so funny !! I love them too...they are good friends already.

haha natesgram....how do I know this...hm...well they just spoke to me in some way. They are wider and just more "clunky" ....here is a pic of my other find from a few years back . She...and she is a she...was in a shop on Magazine St in NOLA. No one wanted her either...I ran with her out the door and she has been very happy here ever since. You can tell she is much more refined ;)

annie...I think I probably will just get the wood all fixed and perhaps work on the guts. Then let my prof. guy have at them. I do want to honor the chairs they really are nice ! Thank you .

THANK YOU ALL ! I appreciate the ideas and overwhelming support...DH is so funny. I had to read all of this to him. He said...whoa...there are more like you out there LOL ! c

Love it!

trailrunner, there's a ton of stuff to read on the differences between gel stain and liquid stain (oil or water based). I only know from my own experiences and the research I've done.

It seems to me that a great many people favor gel stain because it goes on easy (and that's relative to what one considers easy) and can cover the look of grain some find objectionable. Not all, but most of the examples I've seen online of gel stain are in the java/espresso tones. Great if that's what you're going for. It sounds like it can take a number of coats for people to get the desired look. Again, fine if you're going dark. But what if you want the grain and character of the wood to show?

Also, many GW vets say gel stain is a lot like paint and basically doesn't penetrate. Because I'm refinishing a desk whose surface is going to see a lot of action, I want a stain that isn't going to scratch easily. I know that even oil stain doesn't penetrate as much as dye.

After I got my desk stripped and sanded down to bare wood, I used oil-based stain based on the recommendation of a guy I spoke to at General Finishes. Honestly, it went on like a dream. I used two coats and the beauty of the grain came into being.

I did test GF's water-based stain and did not like it: blotchy and a lot less forgiving, nor did I care how the color turned out. I tested a number of stains (for color) on the back of a sanded drawer. The two oil stains (GF and Minwax) dried with a smooth surface, while the water-based stain raised the grain like you wouldn't believe.

Hopefully you won't have to strip down to bare wood and something like tung oil will restore these guys to their original glory.

Love those chairs, C! After seeing a couple of photos of your home I was going to suggest something botanical for the fabric, but then I realized they were 'hims', so maybe not. I'm still leaning that way though. Not muted or soft like your NOLA chair. But I don't think they are masculine enough for a Ralph Lauren plaid, for example.

linelle..thank you for the breakdown on the differences. I am thinking that the first chair...on the left could use some stain on the lower parts. I found it on a junk pile and it was covered with old old mud...had been outside for a very long time ! I tore off all the old horse hair etc and washed it with the hose. It has been in my DR ever since.

The chair on the right doesn't need any stain. I like the patina the way it is. Also...as an interesting aside...their are tons of teeny teeny tiny holes all over the chair...a powder post wood beetle at work ! All gone but left their legacy. They are very prevalent in England so perhaps this chair has a lot of history. The Brits consider it the usual as they have a lot of them there. Thank you ...I really appreciate your review of the stains.

Now to get DH to help me take it apart and reglue....sigh...I am treading on new ground !

outside...thank you for thinking of what fabric will work ! I sure will be looking for remnants. My upholstery guy has a huge bin of remnants and I have used it before..got enough leather for one of my "found " Morris chairs ! I will have to be very frugal on this...we shall see how they evolve. Won't be the same I think but complimentary. Also m3d has sent me a link to one of her fave fabric places and I got 13 yrds from them for the front porch ...another story when it is all done ! c

Trailrunner, as a quick added note about the gel/oil stain issue, I would echo linelle's points about gel stain. I have only used gel stain on my exterior front door, which needs staining every 2 years or so, because the bottom half gets part of the western sun in the afternoon (the top is shaded by our front porch). After a while, the bottom fades. So, my quick-and-easy answer is gel stain because the gel is so thick and can be applied easily while the door is hung on the hinges. Gel stain is a quick, convenient solution... but not long-lasting. I don't believe it's a good solution to a piece whose stain you want to last.

Regarding bees/mineral, I don't believe this will have the long-lasting effects that you're seeking. 100% tung is better, and some might argue that a tung finish is even longer lasting.

So... if you stain, go with oil-based (not gel), and if you oil, go with tung (not bees/mineral).

Personally, I wouldn't go crazy trying to remove the stain from the chair on the left. The old stain is part of its charm, I think.

I noticed earlier you may add a new piece to the one on the right. If it will be an exposed piece of new wood, then there are easy ways to age wood so that it matches what's currently there. I'm experimenting with a steel wool/vinegar method that's discussed around the Internet to tackle a project I'm working on now. It's a science project, for sure! But if you run into this problem of new wood with old wood, know there are ways to blend it in.

Good luck! I love the shape of those chairs... they're going to be beautiful.

Trail!! Right now there are two chairs like the one on the left at the Upholsterer's shop for one of my clients!

She painted them with Miss Mustard Seed's milk paint. We took them in to the shop knowing she wanted a shabby/chic/cottage type of look. She picked out a fabulous fabric for the front (whites and blues) and the back is being done in a solid blue. They will be ready next Wednesday. I'll send you a picture when we get them back.

bee

Bee...I would like to see before pics ! And please find out exactly what he did to the insides ...if you can. Sure would love pics of the work in progress ! I can hardly wait.Did your friend have to tear off the old upholstery ? Did she have to do any work on the frame ? I so want to see them :) Thank you !!!

peony thank you for posting back. I realized I was wrong about the chair on the right needing more wood at the back It is supposed to just have the lower support piece. There isn't anything missing...so glad of that. I wasn't going to remove any stain only touch up the area on the bottom where it is so scuffed. Doesn't look as charming in person I think but what do I know ! I will try and get the real tung oil. I love lee valley so can easily get it . Thank you again for helping to clarify. c

It's like they are married. So charming!

I would prefer in my house to have them freshly painted I think, as too shabby can just kind of give me the heebie-jeebies. Otherwise a medium to dark stain and finish, or a stripped completely and finished look is what I would want.

For fabric, I think something with not much pattern but a good "Feel" would be my choice. Linen or velvet or even menswear.

they do look like they were meant for each other! i think they could look lovely done lots of different ways!! look forward to seeing them 'dressed'!
although i do think it's neat that you've had the one in your DR with his springs showing basking in the sun!

julie,.,,heebie jeebies LOL !! You would be creeped out for sure at all my half refinished mantels and doors :) I am going to sand the finish till it is really smooth and then use the tung oil to make it glow and call it a day. I love the idea of men's wear or linen or velvet ! m3d had posted a chair she did in a "fake" hide that was gorgeous and she said you couldn't tell the difference at all. We shall see since they are going in a library area I think your ideas are perfect.

oh busy bee...I love it "basking in the sun"....perfect.That is exactly what he has been doing...stripped down sunbathing for sure !! I cleaned the 2nd one yesterday with mineral spirits and letting it air out now.
Thank you both for posting ! c

hi caroline! i just saw your note on my blog. i didn't respond earlier because ours chairs are very different and when i first saw this posting, i was still nervous with my chair guts all over the floor. :)

your chairs are beautiful, and i know nothing! i've done one upholstery job in my life, so please take that into account! the right way to do it would be to add that jute webbing stuff and sadly I know nothing about that type of upholstery work! since you said it's comfy with a blanket rolled up, here's what i'm thinking...

our springs do look very similar, but my chair has sides that cover up all the craziness inside.

on top of my springs i have a thick layer of dacron batting stapled to the lower part of the frame around the outside. then on top of that it's just thin drapery lining fabric - (it was closest to the fabric cutting counter and i was in a huge hurry!) i stitched that drapery lining fabric (solid white) to the patterned fabric that gets stapled to the footboard on the front. then i pulled the drapery lining under the arms and stapled to the sides of the frame. that all gets covered up by the fabric on the arms. and i have a box cushion on top of all that.

so the construction of my upholstery doesn't work for you exactly, but you could probably adapt it if you're willing to try putting staples in those beautiful frames... my chair was a $20 goodwill special!

IF you really wanted to do it somewhat permanently...

here's a diagram to help explain what i'm about to say:

i would try a thick layer of dacron batting cut a little wider than the frame of the chair to wrap around the top of the seat frame. i'd staple on each side JUST below the top of the frames along all 4 sides. (blue marks where i'd staple this layer) then i'd put another layer of that thick batting cut to the inside size of the frame and i'd just lay it on top of the first layer and not staple it anywhere. that'll give you a little extra padding just on the "seat" area.

then i'd lay some muslin cut to just larger than the frame and staple all around just below where you stapled the batting. (yellow marks where i'd staple this layer) trim off all the excess fabric.

then i'd lay your fabric of choice, staple it at the very bottom of the frame all the way around. (red marks where i'd staple) cover the staples with double welt or buy a coordinating trim or nailhead, but nail head trim has challenges of its own too! haha making the double welt SUCKS because i'm no good with a sewing machine, but it really does finish the project nicely.

here's a pic of the stage of my chair where i had just the batting on top of the springs...

here's after adding the white drapery lining fabric over the batting...

an alternative is to ignore the springs that are there, and have a piece of wood cut to fit the top of the wood frame, then just add some batting and fabric, staple to the bottom of that board and set your board on your frame. you could screw in from the bottom if you wanted it attached permanently.

i'm not sure if this helps or confuses you more, but i wish you lots of luck. the chair frames are so pretty!

Someone posted on the forum recently about reupholstering a chair with springs. I can't remember who it was, but the finished shape was like your chairs' seats.

Are you going to upholster them in the same fabric? They are amazingly similar for being found separately.

Trailrunner, rather than get stain, how about getting a few small tubes of artist oil paints so you can mix up and apply a convincing look of different tones to blend with the wood. I've done this many times on old pieces and even matching hardwood floors if they get scraped or damaged. I use an artists brush and mix a quarter size of each of the oils with a small amount of turpentine and just work in the small areas making it look as close as possible to the surrounding area. My favorite tung oil is Formbys. Oh and you don't have to spend much $, get the cheapest and smallest tubes and turp.

Hi Maggie ! Thank you for answering. I had pretty much figured out what you diagramed so well up above. The current problem is the cost of the air compressor and the stapler. No way to justify them and my upholstery guy can do them for less than the supplies will cost..or close. I won't be using them again likely anyway..sigh. I appreciate you responding...you have SO much talent !

I don't remember either Marti...maybe they will see this and respond. Yes I am going to have them done the same. I am thinking microsuede . I like the one m3d used. I am still looking . Thank you !

Yaya...thank you for the suggestions . I looked at real tung on the Milk Paint site and they suggest cutting it 1/2 with citrus solvent. Makes it easier to get it to absorb and no stink.

I looked at Miss Mustardseed's milk paint and LOVE the colors....I hope Bee posts back. Will look forward to seeing what her customer did with the chairs she has. Lots to think about. In the meantime I have sanded them and and cleaned them some more and I am going to glue the frames and clamp and then we shall see . Thank you for the ideas ! c