Bentwood chaira

[LDH]

Hi JA,

A question re your citrus paint stripper, how much time did it take you to strip the table you worked on? How labour intensive was it? Did you use the scraper as well as the steel wool?

If you had to guess how much time a chair would take based on your experience, how long would you guess?

Just trying to scope the project, dont want to buy all the materials and realise it will take me months to complete and end up just painting the chairs close to the colour Im after anyhow.

[Julie-Ann]

LDH it took 7 years off and on. But look how much detail and little grooves there are on it. I would do a chair and then decide whether you want to strip them all or paint. At the worst a chair could take you a weekend. But probably only 1 afternoon. I would think you would use a combination of scraping and the steel wool. Good luck.

[clp]

Oh how fabulous - that reminds me of the Vienna exhibition I saw in Melbourne (which I think has now closed) not only did it have great Klimt artwork but lots of lovely Thonet stuff including bentwood and other chairs and other pieces by the original designers.

[LDH]

Hi All,

I started my project just now given its only 2 weeks until moving day. I decided not to strip the chairs as it would have taken a lifetime given all the carving in the seats so I decided to paint them. I went to bunnings and purchased my primer and the right dark brown almost black semi gloss top coat. To help with not having to do too many top coats it was advised that i add some black to the primer to give it a darker base.

Now I have primed all the chairs and they are what I would call a lovely french grey colour and Im starting to wonder if i should be heading back to bunnings to purchase some semi gloss in french grey? What do you think? Given the floors are white and the walls are white is this just too many light colours - or on the other hand is the dark timber a nice contrast to all white?

Any advice or opinions welcomed!

I do really like the grey colour. To give some context, they will be seated around an art deco era dining table that, although Im yet to strip back, it will be a light timber colour, like an oak or something in that colour range and I will either oil it or wax it.

[Julie-Ann]

I was sitting here saying - Grey, Grey, Grey. Then you said the table was oak colour. With a white table I would do grey. But with an oak table I would do the black.

[LDH]

Hrmmm - ok ... how about i strip the table now and have a look at it and post a photo with the table and the grey chairs and then you can tell me if you think i should paint them ... i just spent the time since the last post unpiling things off the table to i can drag it out for stripping.

Watch this space!

[Anna Williams]

How exciting! I think they are gorgeous regardless but to score actual Thonets is amazing (especially for that price). Great find!

[Julie-Ann]

Isn't LDH clever to get such a bargain.
Great idea to strip the table and then we can see if the grey goes or not. I think the grey will go with the rest of the apartment beautifully.

[LDH]

Hi Ladies,

Long last few days of handiwork!

I stripped back the dining table top (am still going on the legs as you can see form the photos) but it has a bunch of marks on the table top … Im not sure if these marks classify it as “shabby chic” or if they are just plain too much shabby minus all chic.

Hrmmm …. not sure what to do with it from here … can paint just the legs and leave the shabby top, can paint the whole thing … can keep paint stripping. What do you think?

[Anna Williams]

I think either strip the whole thing, and just oil it. That way the marks are more rustic and less noticeable than if you varnished it. It also means that further dings will only add to the character.

But I also like your idea of leaving the top (I would still oil it) and painting the base. What a great table!