Shortly after we started making replacement covers we began getting requests for the complete chair. At the time I thought, “It’s just a few bends in aluminum tubing. How hard could it be?!” Looking back three years later all I can do is smile at my naivety and think to myself that ignorance is truly bliss. I won’t detail every step of the way, but this post will give you some idea of our journey to recreate Barwa frames.
Over the past few years, we’ve done a handful of custom, one-off projects for a number of people. These range in complexity from using custom fabrics to fabricating replacement frame parts. This post is meant to be a running list of projects to showcase some of the work we’ve done. If you need something “off menu” please reach out to us via our contact page.
Original Barwa chairs are getting more difficult to come by. They’re also challenging to disassemble and awkward to ship, making what little supply there is more difficult to move between buyers and sellers. We get asked fairly frequently how or where to buy & sell them and thought it might be useful to write up what’s worked for us. Since starting this site we’ve been able to buy six more Barwas. Not only do we use these daily, but we also use them for testing cover fit and stretching our canvas covers. They really are amazing chairs!
Continue reading Tips for Buying & Selling Vintage Barwa Chairs
Back when Amanda and I decided to get serious about making Barwa covers, the goal was obvious: Make them exactly like the original covers. Little did we know at the time how much blood, sweat, and tears (quite literally on all three!) would go into the process. We quickly realized that there were going to be supply limitations, and the goal changed to make them as close as possible and remain true to the originals. We’re recording our experience in case anyone is interested in what we found with fabrics and how it led to our current offerings.
Continue reading Our Fabric JourneyThis post is a work in progress, as there is much to more to unearth around these wonderful chairs. Please leave a comment or send us an email if you can help us fill in some of the gaps or help correct any mistakes.
We can see from the assembly instructions that at the time, there were five models, 1000, 1005, 1010, 1018, & 1100. The text is difficult to read w/ this picture, but it’s clear that models 1005, 1010, 1018, & 1100 have arm rests and 1100 has another fixture close to where the spreader bar attaches in the middle of the frame. Thus, the 1000 is the standard chair w/o the added arm rests. At this point we aren’t sure if the same models numbers were used during the different iterations of the chair. We’ll do our best to document the examples we’ve seen.
Continue reading Frame Types and Technical DetailsInstalling a barwa cover is very simple, but it does require a good deal of hand and forearm strength. Stretching the springs can be challenging and we recommend working with a partner to help. Also, please use care when placing the springs in the grommets. If the hook of the spring misses the grommet, it can tear straight through fabric with enough force, or worse, cause injury to your hands. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at barwachair@gmail.com
Spread the cover, top-side down, on a flat surface.
Admit it, you’ve heard it before. You’ve tried your best to block it out, but no matter how much you lie to yourself, deep inside you know it’s real. Something is inside your favorite Barwa frame!
Continue reading Lets Remove the Rattle from your Barwa
Last week I had two more Barwa Chairs delivered and much like our original one, the bolts were completely rusted. Replacing these is not a requirement to enjoy a new cover, but at a certain point we recommended to replace them. Not only is rust gross to look at, but flakes can fall off and stain the area near by. Trust me, rust is not your friend.
Continue reading Changing the Bolts in your Barwa
A new cover and set of springs will go a long way in maintaining your Barwa chair’s use and beauty, but properly polishing the frame can make it look almost new. This post will walk through the method we used to polish our Barwa frame with just a few inexpensive supplies, some elbow grease, and patience. Our goal with this process is to bring your frame to its full potential, not necessarily remove every single scratch, ding, or imperfection on the frame. I found that bringing the metal to a nice shine helps hide some of the imperfections, and they’re only visible upon very close inspection. Depending on the specific condition of your frame, you may find that courser sanding grit is required for certain parts. Use your judgment and feel free to diverge from what’s recommended here based on your situation. If perfection is what you’re after maybe consider looking into having the legs chromed just as Edgar Bartolucci, one of the designers of the Barwa, did on his own personal chairs. Also, please leave comments if you have suggestions for alternative methods or other improvements that would be helpful to others.
Continue reading How to Polish a Barwa Frame
Barwa chairs are amazing. It’s a mid-century modern chair that features two sitting positions; both are incredibly relaxing and comfortable IMO. The design is incredibly smart yet simple and elegant in the execution. The chair pictured here belonged to my father’s family and is approximately 70 years old. In April of 2021, Amanda and I restored it and documented a fair amount of the work here on youtube. Covers are incredibly difficult to come by, but the good news is you can make your own! Start by watching the videos and the rest of this post will teach you how to recover a Barwa chair in as much of the process as possible here. Also, please leave comments with your tips, suggestions, etc. We’ll work to keep this site updated with what we learn and are excited about fostering a community for these wonderful chairs.
Continue reading How to Recover a Barwa Chair