{"title":"K840 Misfit","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eThe chair was a misfit long before it was acquired. Repaired repeatedly, then kept but not maintained, it slowly decayed until no one trusted it enough to sit on.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"misfit-acquired","title":"Misfit Acquired","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eAcquired through Craigslist in January 2026. The chair had been given to the previous owners about 25 years earlier and, according to them, had never been used. When I sat on it at pickup, the seller became alarmed – don’t do it, we never did\u003ci\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003e It smelled strongly of mold, enough to distract me while driving it home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eThe chair was dusty but showed little evidence of actual use. There was visible mold and decaying wood, and the upholstery was barely holding together. The cane backrest remained largely intact, with one small damaged area. The frame showed multiple earlier repairs: reinforced joints, added wood and slotted screws.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TheKarst","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52880664985912,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1002\/2086\/2776\/files\/DSC_5941.jpg?v=1788148832"},{"product_id":"misfit-revived","title":"Misfit Revived","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eThe chair was cleaned and stabilized, but its deterioration and earlier repairs were left visible. The failing upholstery was removed, exposing the original seat structure and the accumulated interventions underneath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eA transparent acrylic structure was built around the chair – as a chair within a chair. The acrylic carries the vertical load, while the original chair provides lateral support. The two structures remain independent enough to move against each other.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eThe result is functional, but deliberately uncomfortable. The seat is too short, the chair shifts laterally when weight moves, and the flexible acrylic backrest eventually touches the original backrest and squeaks. It works, but the old chair and its new structure never quite fit together.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TheKarst","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52880881451320,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1002\/2086\/2776\/files\/DSC_6595.jpg?v=1788151162"},{"product_id":"misfit-research","title":"Misfit Research","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eThe chair was likely made in the mid-18th century. It is constructed with mortise-and-tenon joints secured by square wooden pegs, with spiral-turned bars and hand-carved details. Both the seat and backrest were originally caned through individually drilled holes. The surviving cane backrest may be original, while the seat cane disappeared during a later intervention and its holes were filled with wooden dowels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eThe chair carries evidence of numerous repairs. Joints were reinforced with larger round pegs, a broken spiral bar and backrest were secured with slotted screws, a front leg was wedged to reduce movement, and the corners were reinforced. As the front rail deteriorated, an additional wooden bar was attached to strengthen it. Today, one of its screws is completely exposed because the original wood surrounding it has decayed away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eThe seat was later converted from cane to an upholstered seat. Cutouts were made in the rails for jute webbing, and some were later deepened, apparently to reach healthier wood as decay progressed. Jute, padding and red velvet were added, while further reinforcement allowed the weakened frame to continue carrying the new seat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\"\u003eThe chair therefore records a long sequence of adaptations. Each intervention solved an immediate problem while changing the chair further from its original construction. By the time of its last upholstery, much of the seat structure depended on repairs added to compensate for material that was already deteriorating.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TheKarst","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52880942989624,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1002\/2086\/2776\/files\/DSC_5977.jpg?v=1788152847"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1002\/2086\/2776\/collections\/DSC_5941.jpg?v=1788151544","url":"https:\/\/thekarst.com\/collections\/k840-misfit.oembed","provider":"TheKarst","version":"1.0","type":"link"}