Mid Century Modern is a style that features heavily in our home. No surprises there then, considering I am actually ‘mid-century modern’ gal myself, having been born in the 60’s!
Mid Century Modern Kandya Chair Rescued & Restored
As I have mentioned many times on Lazy Daisy Jones, when it comes to interiors we dont buy new, preferring to buy vintage and restore. Marc is the restorer and I usually find the treasures. Last weekend Marc found this beautiful mid-century modern chair in a local barn auction!
About my Marc
Loves a challenge and is an uber perfectionist. Absolutely brilliant at restoring and mending anything! Like me he always has a project or 5 on the go. I will leave some links to his other restorations at the end if you like this stuff and want to see more. The best thing about all this? We are reusing and saving precious treasure from landfills.
We buy from charity shops, boot fairs and Marc loves to go to a local farm auction held on a Sunday, very often there is treasure to be found.
The best thing about all this? By restoring & reusing we are saving precious treasure from landfills.
An original 1950’s Kandya Jason chair
I know this because it has a beech base, later models had coloured seats and steel legs…
Its called the Jason chair – a seat constructed of single sheet beech laminate mounted on a tapered four-legged beech base. Designed by Carl Jacobs in 1950.
Manufactured by Kandya, a British firm. The lightweight, stackable, chair has gently tapering splayed wooden legs that are typical of Danish design of the period. The seat and back of the chair are folded from a single sheet of flexible plywood that wraps around the chair and joins below the seat in an expressive, though function-less, jigsaw puzzle type connection.
Later, Frank Guille replaced the Jason chair’s wooden legs with a steel-rod base and introduced painted or part-painted seat options, introducing greater colour choice and individuality into the range.
In 1952 three hundred were installed in the South Bank Restaurant on the site of the Festival of Britain.
There was A Strong Danish Influence in Britain during 1950’s
Frank Guille replaced the Jason chair’s wooden legs with a steel-rod base and introduced painted or part-painted seat options, introducing greater colour choice and individuality into the range.
The before and Afters…
OK I know you love to see the before pics too, this time I actually managed to take some before he whisked it away to his workshop. The before photos were taken in the garden, because the chair was so filthy I wouldn’t even let it in the house!
Before:
Marc told me he had to ask a rather large old man to move from the chair so he could check underneath it!
During:
This was Marc during the Easter Bank Holiday weekend…
Base, before and after:
↓↓↓↓
We all love this chair…but we are not all allowed to sit on it!
Isn’t Marc brilliant? Do you have a man that loves doing this for a hobby? What does your man like to do in his spare time?
More Marc restorations:
An Industrial light restoration..its huge!
More Modern Industrial light fixtures Marc has designed and restored for our home:
He made me a very special bedside shelf
A Victorian bed frame restored and installed.
New and Improved and saved from a landfill! kitchen stools Industrial style.
Don’t Forget You Can Also Find Me On Bloglovin Here & I Have Started A Brand New Instagram Account Too!
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The chair is gorgeous and very Danish looking. I love restoring old furniture and like you don’t buy new if I can help it.
Author
Thanks Claire, exactly and if the old stuff has lasted this long its bound to last a few more years! Umlike much of my ikea buys?
bestest Ashley x
Your husband has done a great job! It’s beautiful, I totally get the mid century modern aesthetic, living in Denmark it’s unavoidable, but can look a bit ubiquitous if you don’t mix it up a bit (we have four different chairs round our dining table, which itself is an unusual Piet Hein ellipse table we bought second hand).
A statement chair is like a piece of sculpture, totally okay not to sit on it (as long as you only have the odd one, and not a house full!) We have an inherited desk in the living room, stripped pine and oak. We never sit at it, but I wanted a chair that wouldn’t hide it’s carved beauty. I’d spotted the Philippe Starck Victoria Ghost chair, clear perspex but echoing neoclassical design. It was never meant to be sat on, which is fortunate as it’s a touch high!
Author
Hello! Thank you for your intersting comment. How marvellous to live somewhere with true style and a fabulous design history!
I can assure you we constantly sit on this chair, my reference was to the dogs not being allowed on it!
best wishes
Ashley
I am #envious! The chair is gorgeous and Marc has done a brilliant job.
Author
Thank you Laurie, its a very comfortable chair to sit in too as demonstrated by you know who!
xx