Good as new again after 36 years

The chairs belonging to Talitha and Michael Bainbridge (ZweiDesign) had canework that was in need of repair after many years’ use. The couple purchased their seven 209 Thonet bentwood chairs, manufactured in 1986, at a hotel liquidation sale. The chairs’ history was written all over them – used on a daily basis by hotel guests over many years. Dents in the canework seats suggested that the chairs had not always been used properly either. You could clearly see where, judging by the state of the material, they had been kneeled or stood on.

Talitha and Michael contacted Thonet directly to have their chairs repaired. Thonet has its own in-house repair service in Frankenberg. Our customers benefit from the technical expertise of our specialists, who have many years of experience crafting Thonet furniture and can give our products a new lease of life.

Talitha and Michael Bainbridge

We believe that sustainability is really about longevity. Not just in terms of quality, but also in design. Our aim is to invest in quality pieces right from the start and not simply follow trend after trend or use cheaply manufactured furniture that will just be thrown away a few months or years later. This philosophy also means that we try to buy second-hand furniture whenever possible. We love picking up items of furniture or decorative pieces in second-hand and antique shops. For us, giving a piece of furniture a second life is sustainability in practice.

How were the Thonet 209 chairs repaired?

The parts in need of repair were sent into our repair service and the order was handed over to the repair shop. To mend the chairs, the old canework was removed and the groove which runs around the seat frame was thoroughly cleaned. Then, a new piece of canework with patented reinforcing synthetic mesh was inserted.

Did you know? Canework seats are most likely to crack wherever the material comes under the greatest strain, for example if the person sitting on the chair has their wallet in the back pocket of their trousers. 

So what should you do if your Thonet product needs repairing after many years’ use?

No problem! If you want to have your favourite Thonet pieces repaired, you have two easy options:
1.    You can get in touch with one of our retail partners in your area. They will then take care of coordinating the repair order with us. 
or
2.    You can also contact us directly: Repair service