RESTORATION OF MODERN FURNITURE FOR CLIENTS IN NYC, US AND WORLDWIDE. NAMED "BEST OF N.Y." BY NEW YORK MAGAZINE TRUSTED SINCE 1950

Why Modern furniture doesn't last

Why Modern furniture often so frail? It's partly because the designers and manufacturers experimented with new materials and methods of construction. Their desire for quick production of fanciful futuristic shapes led to the extensive use of bent plywood, fiberglass and other materials, often in untested combinations.

The effects were often startling, revolutionary, fresh, and wondrous. Sometimes furniture designs never got beyond the "experimental" stage, but made it to the Showroom floor anyway- and are still being produced today . For example, even the iconic Eames Lounge Chair has a often catastrophic engineering flaw (see below), shared by many of its recent imitators than fifty years after its initial design.

In some cases, the manufacturers of knock-offs or copies and similar designs use inferior materials, (Modern Furniture failures are not all due to materials. Middle 20th-century furniture was designed for people who were lighter than many people are today. And, of course, there is still the need to periodically replace fabric, cane, and leather.

We don't experiment. We know.

At Olek Lejbzon & Co., our goal is to return your modern furniture (a classic or not) to its original quality or better, such that:

• •  You can't tell that it was repaired.





• •  We use the same materials that were used in the original manufacture - and the same grade of materials, or better. This includes not only the proper wood, but the same non-traditional, experimental materials and combinations, such as metals and electroplated finishes, leather, rubber, plastic, fiberglass, glass, various adhesives, and fabric. We use vintage stocks of Brazilian Rosewood and other recently embargoed species as needed.





• •  It should safely stand up through many decades of use. If we can suggest an improvement that will enhance the piece's value and/or your enjoyment of it, we will. And you can make an informed decision as to whether you want it.

Usually, furniture repair requires the same methods and materials as in the original manufacture.

If we see a repair technique or material that will improve the strength and life of furniture, without changing the design intent or appearance, we will explain the improvements we recommend.

Where we recommend an improved approach, the decision is yours. If, for historical or other reason, you prefer we restore your furniture to precisely its original construction,that will be how it is done. And we will advise you knowledgeably on how best to detect and anticipate any future trouble.

To see what engineering and manufacturing mistakes were made, we have the benefit of hindsight. As important, we have the benefit of our long and broad experience.

For instance, we understand the differences between thermoset plastics and thermoplastics. We select from various adhesives, such as aliphatic glues to resorcinols, epoxies, and others. And we know what structural designs and improvements are necessary for repairs to be effective, to avoid the mistakes of the past. What we don't know, we will research, using engineering design handbooks, and expert craftsmen.

Here are some examples of how we have applied our special insight:

These modern chairs at a top NYC Restaurant had several design issues, legs too close together that caused diners to tumble out of the chairs, and backs that would frequently break.  A new fabrication design using bent plywood solved the back problem, and changing leg placement solved the tumbling issues

Delaminating Bent Plywood

One common problem was the glue used in bentwood furniture. For example, Vladimir Kagan furniture suffers premature plywood failure frequently.

Many people think glues have improved over the centuries. This might be true, but our experience is that bentwood laminations in Victorian furniture are far more stable than mid-Century modern furniture laminations, even though they are a century older. Sometimes the modern problem is that the better more costly glues are not used. Common aliphatic or yellow glues of questionable quality were used by cost-conscious Modern furniture manufacturers. They are the cause of delamination of many bentwood pieces.

Typical Modern Furniture Repairs

Dining Table shattered by large oak tree falling through the roof:

Mies van der Rohe- Barcelona Chair Repair

The Mies van der Rohe designed Barcelona chairs often develop cracks in the Cerulean chromed steel legs at the crossing point, and require welding and plating to repair the frame, as well as internal reinforcements to prevent the problem from reoccurring.

The frame often snaps at the screwed joints too, requiring softening of the hardened steel screws prior to drilling and extraction.

Vladimir Kagan Dining Table Repair

Modern furniture generally suffers from the use of MDF carcasses (Medium Density Fiberboard) beneath veneer. MDF is soft, and prone to developing swelling fungal growths from humidity beneath the top veneer. As the MDF is crushed, the veneer chips off. The repair solution is to inlay solid wood and veneer into damaged area(s)

     Finn Juhl Mid Century Modern Chairs Rebuild frames                Massive Indonesian Table Top Rebuilding

           Hans Wegner, The Chair                  Neils Moller Rosewood Mid Century Modern Side Chairs

       Poul Kjaerholm PK-22 Wicker Chairs                               Sunball Easy Chair