A splash of colour

When the team at BonAppet’IT in London reached out about restoring chairs for their new premises, we knew we were in for a proper challenge. They needed 36 chairs in total – 22 in one style and 14 in another – and with a tight deadline looming, it was all hands on deck!

The hunt for the perfect chairs led us to a rather unusual source. We managed to snag 25 chairs from a working coffee shop in Dudley, West Midlands (thank goodness for eBay!), while the remaining 11 came from our existing stock. Talk about a mismatched bunch! But that’s what makes our job so interesting – seeing the potential in pieces that others might overlook.

With eight chairs destined for outdoor use, we knew they’d need extra protection against our famously unpredictable British weather. Each chair received a tough exterior clear varnish for additional durability, plus we fitted rubber feet to protect the legs from scrapes and dampness. No soggy bottoms on our watch!

The design process was proper thorough, with numerous phone calls and messages flying back and forth to pin down exactly what the café owners wanted. we painted several ‘test’ chairs to confirm colours and design before making the journey down to London for an on-site meeting to finalise the details.

We eventually settled on a striking colour scheme: 22 chairs would be white with turquoise and yellow trimming at the tops, while the other 14 would be white with turquoise and green trimming. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Well, not quite! The painting process was surprisingly complex and time-consuming. Each chair needed thorough sanding, several coats of primer, undercoat and furniture paint, plus three separate applications of masking tape to coordinate the colours and ensure straight, crisp lines throughout. Would you believe the masking process alone took about an hour per chair?

The comments we’ve received have been overwhelmingly positive. The vibrant pops of colour against the clean white finish have given BonAppet’IT  a distinctive look that perfectly complements their fresh, modern aesthetic. Just goes to show what a bit of elbow grease and creative vision can achieve with some tired old chairs from Dudley!