Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with chair

Make my chair less ugly

mjcon — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:31:03 -0800

How much will it cost to reupholster a big chair? I have a chair that looks somewhat similar to this except that the fabric is a weird white brocade. It is very dirty and attempts to clean it haven't gone well (and I don't like its fabric anyway). I'd like to reupholster it. Does anyone have a rough estimate of how much that might cost? I'm in Wisconsin if that matters. I know the fabric will be expensive, but what about the labor costs?

Where can I try out fancy office chairs in California's Bay Area (SF, Alameda, Solano, Contra Costa, Napa, Marin, or Sonoma Counties)?

unclezeb — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:57:11 -0800

California - Bay Area: where can I try out crazy good office chairs? All the advice posts/asks say to test a chair out before buying and I want to try the Think, Leap, Freedom, Aeron, or your other suggestions before my office buys a new chair for me ... but where (from SF to Oakland to Sonoma to Napa) can I go to get test these chairs out? My office offered to replace my current chair and I noticed several of my co-workers have the Freedom chair which is not cheap! ($1099 on Sitforless.com).

I want to try out a few chairs before asking my office to lay out any money, but I cannot think of the right place to go for a test run?

I work in the North Bay and live in the East Bay - Can you think of anywhere to try out several of these chairs (Think, Leap, Freedom, Aeron, or your other suggestions!) nearby?

As for "other suggestions" here are my preferences if it matters:
Comfortable for someone who's "big boned"
Adjustable head rest preferred
Deep seat preferred
Fabric > leather

Thanks everyone!

I pulled a Betty Draper last night.

oinopaponton — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:04:16 -0800

Any tips for successfully reupholstering a vintage settee? I finally, after months of beautiful mid-century modern furniture near-misses, beat the clock and snatched up this baby from Craigslist before anyone else got to it. I'm in love, but the fabric's kind of discolored (and slightly ugly) and there isn't much padding on the seat. The wood's in fine condition, so I'm not worried about that.

I've reupholstered an antique chair before, so I understand the basics, but that was more of a test run. I'm a little more invested in this piece of furniture. I definitely want to do this myself (no taking it to a professional), and I'm looking for a little guidance in the not-making-it-ugly department.

So:
1. Are there any great reupholstery guides out there on the interweb, or do you yourself have any specific advice? I'm especially concerned with keeping a neat, tailored look.

2. Any ideas of where I could find some nice sturdy fabric, either online or in the Boston area? I'm currently obsessed with clean mid-century everything, so someplace that specializes in that sort of thing would be great.

My friend would like to design a chair

urbanwhaleshark — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:47:05 -0800

Apprentice/work experience for London chair designers? I would like to help a friend find some apprentice or weekend-experience work for a London chair designer. I appreciate this is a very specific request. She has no prior experience in the field but is very passionate about it and I'd like to give her as much help as possible. She has habit of finding kicked-about antiques and refurbishing them if that's any help.

If the question is too narrow, please also include furniture restorers and the like.

Nice desk and chair for reasonable price?

shivohum — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:17:59 -0800

I need recommendations for a desk and chair for my home please. Requirements inside. Desk:

-will be used for laptop and spread out papers, fairly standard stuff
-contemporary style, should look reasonably good
-should be medium-sized; no l-shaped things
-need drawers, bookshelf, and filing cabinet with it
-<$500 (though the cheaper the better!)

Chair for desk:

-comfortable, ergonomic, reasonably good-looking
-<$200

Both:

-need suggestion as to where to buy these in New York or via mail order.
-need delivery and assembly from seller for not too much more

Thanks!

Office chair that's not office-looking

sandra194 — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:12:31 -0800

Please suggest a comfy and supportive office chair for my home office that doesn't look too office-like. I would like something more style-ish and homey looking than the standard workplace office chair.

How do I get replacement hardware for an IKEA office chair in the US?

l33tpolicywonk — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:26:19 -0800

How do I get replacement hardware for an IKEA office chair in the US? As the result of a move, I lost the hardware to my IKEA Karsten office chair. The instructions aren't real helpful on what the dimensions of the screws are - basically, I need seven large screws for the chair and back, and four smaller screws to attach each of the arms. I tried going to the hardware store, but the screws I got there were too long (they pointed through the cushion) and using them set the screw holes off center from the chair base - I could only get two of the four screws in. I went to IKEA College Park, which told me they could not give me replacement screws without my receipt (long since gone). It's possible IKEA stores in other countries would replace it, but I can't easily get to one. I bought a bag of loose screws there, and didn't quite have screws big enough to do the job. Any suggestions about how I figure out exactly which screws I need to order, or how I convince IKEA to send me new ones?

wherever i park my ass

zadcat — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:06:24 -0800

I'm aching today from four days spent in a bad chair at my job. I need to find a chair I can work in. I don't have any medical or physiological issues except I am somewhat short (5'2"). I'm doing graphic design work.

At home I have a big old solid wooden office chair from the mid 20th century, no wheels, nothing fancy, and I can sit in that thing all day without a twinge. But I'm working in a tiny postage stamp of an office now and they would not be pleased to find or make room for something this huge and intractable.

At work I sit on a crappy waiting room chair because it's the only thing high enough for me not to have to hold my arms at a damaging angle to the table (short people will know what I mean) but it's doing bad things to my hips and lower back now, so I need to find an answer.

My requirements are a bit odd. I had an actual argument with a young person at an ergonomics store recently when I told her I didn't like sliding around on casters or rollers while I work. I don't. I like a chair that stays very stable and doesn't rotate or roll around. I am not a secretary: I don't have to roll around looking for files or whatever.

Also, I don't need arms or lumbar support. I sit up very straight naturally, and if the chair is the right height my forearms rest comfortably on the table. At home I use a footrest to vary my position.

I need something like a solid work stool the correct height. It would be even better if tiny and light enough to carry on public transit in a pinch. A footrest (separate from the stool) would be good. Also, cheap: they'll buy me something but I think they'll kick at more than $150 or so. Also, available in Canada. (I would consider buying something myself as well, presuming it could be moved to new jobs as circumstances warrant.)

This may be far too persnickety a set of requirements, but I won't know till I've asked.

Where can I try and buy an office chair in Toronto?

jacquilynne — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:00:45 -0800

Where can I buy one expensive office chair in Toronto? My Aeron, which I bought on eBay, and thus without a warranty, is gradually falling apart under the weight of my giant ass (the frame has cracked, and some of the levers don't work, and just today, random screws have started popping out for no apparent reason), so I'm soon going to need a new chair. I work from home and sit in this chair all day every day, so it needs to be a good one, a la another Aeron (perhaps with a warranty this time), something from Human Scale or Steelcase or Formway or similar.

Where can I go in Toronto to buy just one of these chairs, preferably having tried a few of them? An office furniture store that's actually willing to deal with one-off sales situations? The places I can find want me to make an appointment for a consultation about my office furnishing needs. I don't have office furnishing needs, I'm not trying to supply a work group or build out a new office, I just need a single chair for myself.

I also don't want to look at catalogues. I want to sit in chairs. I've already looked at catalogues (aka, teh intarwebs) and I have no idea which of these chairs are better or worse than any other.

If you've got specific experience as a 300lb+ person, preferably of the female with large hips variety, and want to recommend a specific type of chair, that'd help, too, but general 'these chairs are awesome' advice isn't all that likely to apply, given that Aerons are awesome, except when they break under your weight.

Chair that converts to twin bed

cainiarb — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:33:19 -0800

I need a small scale chair that converts to a twin bed. We have a 500 sq. ft. cottage and need extra sleeping room for guests. There is room for two small chairs in the living area and we would like to replace these chairs with something that makes into twin beds. We like the way the ZzzChair converts to a chaise lounge and twin bed but it has a boxy look that isn't appealing. We do want a good quality chair/bed and not some flip type Styrofoam chair.

Any suggestions on where to find something to meet our needs?

Sitting On Air

nam3d — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:48:40 -0800

I've been sitting on a swiss ball (gym ball) for a few weeks and whilst I've found it's improved my pousture I like the look of the Isokinetics Fitness Ball Chair and the Gaiam BalanceBall they both don't ship to the UK. Could someone please point me in the direction of an alternative product which has stockist's in the UK?

Insert Clever Title Here

wittgenstein — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:01:11 -0800

Mrs. W and I would like to buy some modern looking furniture, but there do not seem to be available venues in Jacksonville, FL. Mefites in or near Orlando, are there stores there you can recommend that would stock modern looking couches and chairs?

How to cover a weird shaped chair.

like_neon — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:48:33 -0800

How to make/get a slipcover for my Ikea chair Ektorp Tullsta? - I don't like the ones offered on the Ikea website
- I tried Ikea Hacker and their forums
- Craftster.org also turned up nothing specific enough to help me
- It doesn't need to be fancy with the separate cover for the seat cushion and the flaps, just needs to be better than throwing a sheet over it.

Any suggestions or other forums to search? I am willing to try sewing one myself but would need lots of handholding.

Seal and protect...

genefinder — Mon, 11 May 2009 06:56:28 -0800

What is the best way to protect wooden outdoor chair legs from rotting? Mrs. Genefinder and I bought two LL Bean painted Adirondack chairs to use outdoors. The product info states that these chairs are best used on a deck or patio, but we will be using them out on the back lawn. As such, the legs will get wet and muddy from contact with the ground, and will potentially split and rot over time. A chair cover will protect the chairs themselves, but not the feet.

I haven't been able to find any type of adirondack chair booties, so am thinking I must seal the bottoms somehow. Does anyone have any suggestions for the best way to do this?

How to find value of Pullman dining car chair?

Abraxas5 — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:07:46 -0800

How can I find the value of an antique chair from a Pullman railroad car? I was given an old chair 20 years ago and was told it was from a Pullman dining car. The upholstery is ripped in spots, but the wood frame is in good shape. There are 2 metal plates on the bottom, one says: 309 and the other says: 4180 24".
I know nothing about antiques and can't find any information online about whether this chair is worth anything. I can't even find anyone selling or buying furniture from Pullman cars.
Any thoughts about where to search for the value of this item?
Thanks very much.

How do I fix the hydraulic lift on my desk chair?

nohat — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:30:32 -0800

I have this ordinary office chair with a lever on the side for adjusting the height. The lift seems to "leak" and about a dozen times a day my chair loses its lift and sinks to the bottom. It's a cheap Chinese import I bought in Bogotá, Colombia, so warranty/refunds/exchanges/help from the store or manufacturer are out of the question. Is there anything I can do to make it more likely to stay in position, or am I doomed to suffer that dreaded sinking feeling?

How can I make my Aeron taller?

gradient — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:42:47 -0800

I need to raise my Aeron chair a few inches. It's on casters. How can I do it? I got a new desk which is just a little bit too high for me to work comfortably. The desk can't adjust any lower, and since it is glass, I can't add a keyboard tray to the bottom of it.

The casters look like this: http://www.officedesigns.com/images/main/aeron-casters.jpg

I was thinking they are probably the easiest way to add height to my chair. However, I can't find any higher casters.. so I may have to make some modifications myself.

Hoping someone has some ideas I can try. I emailed the company I bought the chair from and they weren't much help.

Thanks!

Help me buy a kneeling chair online.

odinsdream — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:11:06 -0800

I'd like to buy a kneeling chair, but I can't find any locally to try. Do you have any tips about buying one online? After using a few kneeling chairs over the years I'd like to get one as my primary desk chair. I can't find any stores locally that have them, though, so I can't physically try any out.

Do you have any tips for buying one online as it looks like I'll need to do? Any particular online stores to check out? Searches unfortunately return a lot of what look like fly-by-night type operations.

Another issue is that price ranges from $60-$400 and I only have pictures to go by, no real solid reviews.

Looking for foldable high chairs.

Magnakai — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:42:52 -0800

Stoolfilter: I've been tasked with finding a UK-available comfortable folding high chair for use behind a counter. I'm not having much luck so far. Help! I part-time in a cinema where the front of house staff have to sit behind a chest-high counter. We're currently using some relatively high office chairs, but they take up quite a lot of space and it'd be handy to have some folding ones to put away. The current ones are also sort of falling apart, and the manager's not going to replace them with non-folding chairs.

The new chairs don't have to have backs, but it would be nice. The main thing is that they're comfortable, as they'll be used for long periods of time.

I've looked for draughtsmans chairs, bar stools, lab chairs, checkout chairs, counter chairs, all to no luck.

I've hit Google hard for this one, but I'm not having much luck. The only suitable thing I can find is from the US-based Brookestone. Have a look. Does anyone know if they ship to the UK?

Any suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks!

Looking for armchairs in all the wrong places.

katillathehun — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:21:59 -0800

Where in Los Angeles can I find a chair sort of like the one on this page for under $1000? It doesn't have to be new or exactly like that. I'm prepared to reupholster and paint it if I need to... It's mainly the shape I'm after. (Yes, I check eBay and Craigslist.) Can you suggest a store to check out? I live in Burbank, but for the right chair, I'm willing to leave the valley. I've also checked online, but it seems like most of the chairs I like are located in the UK. Bah!

Looking for a picture of a man balancing on a the back 2 legs of a chair on a cliff

Maia — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:34:49 -0800

Where can I find a very iconic picture of a man sitting in a chair, leaning back and balancing on the back two legs on the edge of a cliff? (Actually, any picture of someone balancing on the back legs of a chair would be fine, I just remember this one in particular)

Help me be a good meeting chair!

razzman — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 05:08:58 -0800

Please give me tips on being a good team meeting chair. We have a rotating chair and it's my turn for the next 10 weeks in a team of 6 ICT business strategy staff. Meetings are usually around an hour and cover actions from last meeting, matters arising from meetings, several agenda items and any other business. Also looking for some ideas which have the capacity to really engage minds in these meetings which we all usually find quite dull.

Help me identify this sitcom office chair

gregchttm — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:17:15 -0800

Can you identify this desk chair or something very similar? I am looking for a very specific desk chair -- I saw one very similar on a recent episode of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. I love the orange, but black or dark gray options would be great as well. Ideally online or locally purchased in the Boston/MetroWest area.

A certain type of office chair

aerotive — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:00:33 -0800

I'm looking for a rather specific kind of office chair--one that can recline & has a footrest, has a fabric covering, has a headrest, and can stand up to heavy home-office use. Anyone know of such a chair? I've found plenty of other office-chair related questions on askme but haven't found one that really matched what I'm looking for.

A leather seating surface is a deal-breaker. Vinyl is acceptable, with cloth/fabric much preferred.

I tried out this chair at my local OD, but it felt pretty flimsy, plus there's no headrest. And "Designed for casual use" doesn't inspire confidence.

I've toyed with the idea of buying a medical-style chair such as this but would, obviously, prefer a similar chair that's less reminiscent of hospitals and is cheaper. I don't have medical or back problems--I just happened to sit in this style of chair while visiting someone at a local hospital and found it to be quite comfortable. They even make a headrest for them.

Any ideas? I'll be using this chair about 35 hours a week. I'm 6ft3, 220lbs. I'm flexible as far as price goes.

Is there such a thing as a good massage chair?

mcarthey — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 06:45:04 -0800

Looking for an affordable and decent massage chair (or attachment). I realize there may not be a massage chair or chair attachment that is worth the money, but I'm looking for something that will provide some level of comfort and not break the bank. I go for the occasional massage, so I know it will never replace a professional, but I have also tried different versions of chair attachments that were terrible and almost painful as they dig into your back.
Of those I've liked were some real expensive ones at Brookstone. Specifically their chair with all the attachments is great. The leg massager is unique and enjoyable, but well beyond what I'm willing to spend.
I'd like it to focus primarily on my back, but bonus points for one that is versitile enough to work in other areas.