MCM Baumritter Chair Stunning Redisign

Yard sales never disappoint

On one Saturday in June, I saw signs leading to a large yard sale. It was already in its third day and all items were 50% off. Naturally, I had to check it out. As I perused their items walking down a long garden path, something at the very end caught my eye – a frame of a Mid-century Modern chair. Fearing competition, I sped up to examine it. Before my brain could catch up, I grabbed on to the arm rest to shake the chair to see if it were sturdy and it was. Even better, someone had already put in the time and almost completely sanded this MCM chair down to bare wood. And then I notice a maker’s mark – Baumritter (now better knows as Ethan Allen!!!)

At this point, I am thinking the frame alone will be at least $100. I check the tag and it says $12, so final price $6. SIX! I tried to play it cool and conceal my inner screaming, but I don’t think I was very successful. And after a game of Tetris to squeeze the frame into my car, I brought it home!

I still can’t believe I got so lucky to find a sanded MCM Baumritter chair for $6!!!

Frame

I wasn’t kidding about this MCM Baumritter chair being almost completely sanded. And I was so grateful for it, because it saved me so much time. Also, I could focus on getting those crevices sanded which still took hours. I started with rougher sandpaper (180 grit) and then switched to finer grit of 320 for a smooth finish. And I only had to patch one tiny spot with wood filler!!!

When it was ready for stain. I used Hickory Gel Stain that I’ve had from a previous Mid-century Modern chair. I love this hue, because it really reminds me of the tones that would have been used on these pieces originally. Hickory has the right combination of warmth and red undertones, and the slightly darker tint gives it an updated MCM look. Gel stain, is pretty easy to use and definitely less messy than the conventional stain. I literally cut up an old shirt to dip into the can (wearing gloves) and applied it all over.

To make sure the chair is around for another 70 years, I finished it with a layer or two of polyurethane. Usually, I would simply brush it on. But for some odd reason, I only had the varnish in a spray. In my case, that just means another lesson in self-control to make sure I do not over-spray.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is crucial to use Polyurethane with oil-based stains and Polycrylic with water-based ones. There are some Polyurethanes that can be used on water-based stains and paints, and that is listed on the packaging.

I think I did pretty good!

Seat Straps – a slightly different approach on this MCM Baumritter Chair

Although, I’ve seen examples of this MCM Baumritter chair and other similar pieces redone with the usual jute webbing, it is the wrong type to use. They don’t have any stretch in them, and are typically used as a base for springs in more traditional pieces. Considering that the chair cushion will sit directly on webbing some flexibility is necessary.

I don’t do these very often, so I had to do some research. I found that that the original straps used were Pirelli webbing. Yes, like the tires, and they are rubbery and look like beige bicycle tires. They are still available for purchase, but ordering them turned out difficult for many different reasons. Instead, I opted for 2″ elastic webbing.

My biggest pet peeve – exposed staples!

If there is a way to hide them, I will do it! Even if it means doing some less conventional maneuvering. Here, I knew that I could only successfully cover staples on one end, because of the amount of stretching I would need to do. So, I opted for hiding the ones in the back, because the ones attached to the front of the chair could be hidden by the chair frame.

To start off, I slipped the webbing through the slat, looped the strap over and stapled the short end of it to the top of the chair frame. I made sure that the short end was pointing to the front of the chair.

This way when I pulled webbing over to the other side, it would go right over the staples and hide them.

I did not use the web stretcher to pull webbing tighter, but I did try my best to get it to stretch as much as possible, before stapling on the opposite end.

After cutting off excess webbing, I folded it over on the interior of the frame and put in the finishing staples for a clean look..

What i was left with was a beautiful frame with sturdy and secure elastic webbing ready for the seat cushions.

Cushions for a mid-century modern chair

Foam

Since the chair didn’t come with any cushions, I had no idea how thick they were supposed to be. Instead, I started researching other MCM chairs to see if I could find a clue of any kind of a measurement standard. No luck with tracking down any rules, but I did notice that none of the cushions were over 4″ thick. This makes sense, since Mid-Century Modern furniture is known for clean lines and no-frill upholstery.

Speaking of no rules, I saw examples where the seat and back cushions used the same thickness of foam and some opted for different sizes. 4″ foam seemed good for the seat, but just felt too bulky for the back. This made me decide on using 3-inch foam on the back cushion.

Both peaces were sourced from Joann’s, and I did additional cutting with a bread knife. I am still too small of an operation to buy a foam cutter, but my knives are pretty decent.

Fabric

Choosing fabric is always a process. I try to find a balance between beautiful and materials that fit furniture’s style and time period.

After some internal debate, I decided on the fabric I purchased years ago in the LA’s fashion district. Now it seems it was just waiting for this project to shine. It almost looks like tweed with black being the primary color with interwoven white thread and some hints of dark green and navy.

I don’t want to get into too much detail on the process of making cushion covers, because there are a lot of tutorials online already. But, I can definitely share a few of the process pics.

I always start with the zipper and for that I carefully draw the pattern and leave an inch allowance for the seam.

Before sewing, I iron the edge to make sure everything aligns when the zipper is sewn on.

And the result is a clean invisible zipper.

Once the zipper panel is done, I sew the rest of the side panels of the cushion together and then attach them to the zipper panel on one side only.

Then, I move on to the MILES of piping. I generally use a piping foot for this part, but zipper foot will work in a pinch, too.

Next, I precisely draw out the pattern of the top and bottom panels, making sure all allowances and curves are accounted for. A little secret – the curved corners are made by drawing around a thread spool. No fancy geometry required, nor any special rulers or a compass.

Once panels are cut, I sew on the piping.

At last, I sew all the pieces together and the cushion is done.

Final Product – a complete overhaul of an MCM Baumritter Chair

I kept taking the chair to different locations to take photos of it that would do it justice. I even carried it to a pond near my home and got quite a few stares from runners. But, hey, we all have our own forms of exercise. Some people run, while I lug MCM Baumritter chair and other furniture around.