Bringing a Mid-Century Classic Back to Life: Restoring a Plycraft Lounge Chair and Ottoman
Some pieces walk into our Houston workshop and you can feel the decades of living they've done. This Plycraft lounge chair and ottoman was one of them. With its bent plywood shell and plush tufted leather, it's a mid-century icon in its own right, but years of sun and an unfortunate run-in with a household cat had left it far from its best.
Here's a look at the chair's history, what we found when it came in, and how our team brought it back.
A BIT OF HISTORY
When Charles and Ray Eames introduced their famous lounge chair and ottoman for Herman Miller in 1956, it instantly became one of the most recognizable designs of the century. It also inspired a wave of look-alikes, and the most successful of them came from an American manufacturer called Plycraft.
In the late 1950s, designer George Mulhauser created the "Mr. Chair" for Plycraft. It was a tilting, swivel lounge chair with a matching ottoman, and it borrowed heavily from the Eames silhouette: a bent plywood shell, tufted leather cushions and a low, relaxed profile. Mulhauser was no stranger to Herman Miller, either. While working in George Nelson's studio, he's credited with designing the iconic Coconut chair.
The biggest difference between the two? The recline. The Eames lounge sits in a fixed position, while the Plycraft chair tilts back. Plycraft's history wasn't without controversy and legal disputes, but its lounge chairs became hugely popular, and today they're sought after by mid-century collectors in their own right.
Many Plycraft owners have no idea their "Eames chair" isn't a Herman Miller original until they bring it in. Either way, these are well-built, beautifully designed pieces that are absolutely worth restoring.
What We Found
The chair's plywood shell and base were in good shape, but the leather told a different story.
Sun fading. The chair had significant fading from years of UV exposure. The color had gone flat and uneven, and the protective finish had worn thin.
pH damage on the seat panel. This was the most serious problem. The seat panel had suffered pH damage, most likely from cat urine building up over time. Urine is highly alkaline, and as it soaks into leather it breaks down the fibers from the inside out. By the time it reached us, the seat leather had weakened past the point of saving. Cleaning and conditioning can't fix damage like this. The panel has to be replaced.
Everyday wear. The rest of the leather had the nicks and scratches you'd expect from decades of use, and the seat cushion's buttons and foam had seen better days.
How We Brought It Back
A new seat panel. We sourced leather that closely matched the original's thickness and texture, so the new panel would sit and feel like it had always been there. We then stripped it to prepare it for a perfect color match.
A new foam core. We built a brand-new foam core for the seat cushion, bringing back the plush, supportive sit these chairs are known for.
New buttons. We replaced the buttons on the seat cushion to restore its classic tufted look.
Repairing the rest of the leather. The nicks and scratches across the chair were carefully repaired and smoothed.
Custom color matching. We matched the original color and applied our custom color-matched pigmented finish across the chair, including the new seat panel, so everything blends seamlessly.
A protective clear top coat. We finished with a clear top coat to lock in the color and protect the leather against future wear and sun exposure.
Refinishing the ottoman. The ottoman was refinished to match, so the pair looks like a set again.
Eames-Style Lounge Chairs Are Our Specialty
This wasn't a one-off project for us. Plycraft chairs, Herman Miller Eames lounges and other mid-century lounge chairs come through our Houston workshop all the time. We know how they're built, how their leather wears, and what it takes to restore them without losing the character that makes them special.
Whether your chair has sun fading, cracked or torn leather, pet damage, flattened cushions or missing buttons, our team can bring it back. We custom-match every color and finish to your original leather, so the result looks right and lasts.
Ready to Restore Your Lounge Chair?
If you have a Plycraft, an Eames or any mid-century lounge chair that's seen better days, we'd love to take a look. Contact Total Leather Care for an estimate. Visit our shop at 9220 Summerbell Lane, Houston, TX 77074, or call us at 713-776-2090