Balans Kneeling Chair

Recovered

Posted by

3

Recovered Balans Chair

I’ve had the fabric, and a pattern to cut out the seat, hanging around my computer room for close to two months – just couldn’t get around to actually recovering the chair.

Today.

I managed to get it done today. In the end, I used the leftover fabric I had kept in my closet from the last time I recovered it (at least 20 years ago). There was more than enough for the seat and two kneeling pads. I used leftover batting to pad the seat and pads – they’re padded enough to soften them but not so much that it’s puffy.

The whole job – unscrewing the seat and kneeling pads from the frame, removing the staples from the previous covering, serging the fabric raw edges, placing double-sided tape on the seat and kneeling boards, stapling the new cover back in place, and reattaching seat and pads back to the frame – took me about three hours (with a time out for lunch).

This job is crossed off my “to do” list; now on to the next.

I have a floral fibre piece that’s been hanging around for at least 18 months – it needs a ton of thread painting. I barely started when I began the piece up. I’d hoped to have it finished so I could show it at the Craig Gallery – I didn’t get to it. It’s now at the top of the list, along with two other fibre pieces I’ve been wanting to do for a couple of years.

Green Bay
Lighthouse Park

Both pieces are composed of a couple of photos. I’ve set up a mock up to suggest a potential layout of each piece.

In “Fall Day at Green Bay” I intend cropping the rocks on the right and expanding the water between Deb and the rocks a bit. I want the content of the piece to end up around 15″ x 12″; framing will add to the dimensions.

In “Five Islands Lighthouse Park” I want to focus on the five islands which will mean playing with the perspective somewhat. The positioning of the large red Adirondack chairs with Joy and Dave will be determined by how that whole background shapes up. Again I’m aiming for a 15″ x 12″ pieced image, framing outside of that.

I’m still in the walking around and thinking about these two pieces phase; not quite ready to begin pulling fabric from drawers and boxes. In both projects I am going to have to paint white fabric for the sky. I’ll mix acrylic paint, dilute it, and brush it on white cotton/poly (which takes paint better than 100% cotton). I don’t have any in the house – that’s something I have to pick up in the next week.

There are a couple of potential garments also hovering in the back of my mind – I’m resisting them. I feel a need to get more art on the go.

The Kneeling Chair

Posted by

6

About 45 years ago I bought my Balans Kneeling Chair. Loved it from the get-go.

You can see it’s a minimalist design –  first introduced at the Scandinavian Furniture Fair in Copenhagen in 1979, Variable was one of the first prototypes derived from the Balans concept, by Hans Christian Mengshoel. I bought mine at the Danish House on the St. Margaret’s Bay Road (that store is long gone). I must have bought in ’79 or ’80. It’s travelled with me wherever I’ve lived.

It’s amazing to sit/kneel on. Although there is no back, you’re forced to sit in such a way that your lower back is supported. I’ve used it at my computer desk – even designed my desk surface height so that when I’m on this seat the desk height is perfect for my back and arm length. I can sit on the chair for long spells.

However, my Balans chair is showing its age – it’s been getting creaky. I’ve tightened the bolts regularly (one of the bolts in the cross piece is stripped and won’t fully tighten any more) but the creaking hasn’t completely gone away. I’ve even glued the cross piece to stabilize it better; that hasn’t helped. So I decided to replace it.

A quick search located me several variations on the chair – some original ones from Varier (the original maker) although not with the stained birch colour I have and for lots of money! I checked around for a knock-off. They’re out there. I found one on Amazon

Same base height as my Balans chair but the overall chair height was likely a problem. I ordered one anyway (not too expensive) and it arrived within a couple of days. I had no trouble assembling it. Next, I tried it out. The 4″ padding turned out to be 3″ too high! My desk and all of my sewing tables were built to be 3″ lower than a standard table top – this chair with all that padding had me sitting higher than was comfortable.

I could return the chair, but rather than go through that hassle, I decided to reupholster it. First I checked with a local upholstering company (I’ve used them before) – I didn’t need new fabric, just wanted to have the seat and kneeling pads reconfigured with 1″ foam and the fabric reattached. I was quoted a price that was more than I’d paid for the chair. I decided to tackle the job myself.

It wasn’t difficult removing the staples from the undercover. I decided, rather than fighting the remaining staples attaching the fabric to the plywood seat (and there were a lot of them), to cut the fabric away. With some effort I was able to remove the 4″ piece of composite foam. I replaced it with a 1″ polyester woven batting and reattached the fabric. Now I have a usable chair.

I also removed the front stabilizing bar – it got in the way of my feet. I’m still deciding whether to remove the second stretcher – I’ll leave it there for now.

I was short a sewing chair for my serger/coverstitch sewing machines (I have two Humanscale Pony Saddle Seats – one at each of the other sewing stations). I tried this chair there. With the seat lower, it feels right. So that’s where it sits for now.

I’ve decided to give my original seat a facelift. I’ve dug out some upholstery fabric leftovers – there’s enough of the fabric I have currently on that seat to redo it. I’ll tighten all the bolts one more time. I’m guessing my original Balans chair may have another 45 years of life in it yet!