Installing 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!
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.
Specifically how Amanda went from “don’t bring that in the house” to “we should put the Barwa in our living room!”
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.
Recovering your Barwa chair is totally possible and we’ll help you do it!
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.
