Hi Cleveland friends - my neighbor threw out this old banker's chair and I snagged it... 

 

I was wondering if anyone knows somewhere where I can get this refurbished and if anyone has a ballpark estimate of how much this type of thing would cost? The wood needs to be touched up, the swivel and wheels need to be replaced, and I want to have a new cushion put in on the seat. Thanks! If it's going to be expensive (> $400) someone can feel free to come take it off my hands. 

 

Replacing the wheels is simple, you could do it yourself.  The casters probably have stems, but you could probably switch to a plate mount. The trick will be finding the right size plate to fit the width of the wood. Some places to look --

https://www.amazon.com/swivel-chair-casters/s?k=swivel+chair+casters&i=office-products&rh=n%3A1069154%2Cp_72%3A1248945011%2Cp_n_feature_browse-bin%3A118688580011&dc&ds=v1%3ANNBH50OWZ9JpNbJgzF1P6qe8CyVtW9moIgGjKlPFSzI&qid=1709570183&rnid=24398010011&ref=sr_nr_p_n_feature_browse-bin_2

 

https://www.rockler.com/hardware/furniture-hardware/casters?customFilters=filter.casters_style:Swivel;filter.casters_wheel_material:No$2520Mark$2520Polyolefin

 

I would encourage you to replace the wheels, even if you decide to pass the chair on to the Habitat ReStore, so that the chair will be reused and not thrown in the dump.

 

As for the finish, let me preface this by saying that I am a very amateur woodworker, and I hate finishing -- and refinishing can be very difficult if you don't know what finish was applied originally.  So I would look for a professional (just as your expertise makes your time expensive, so will a really good refinisher be expensive), or a knowledgeable retiree who wants to take it on for beer instead of cash.  Ask around of all of your friends.  Of if there is an antique store nearby, ask if they can recommend a refinisher.

 

Or you can try to do it yourself if you're ok with a usuable chair and aren't overly concerned with achieving the perfect finish (if you're going to use it as an everyday chair, or almost every day, it's going to get abused and worn and banged up in spots anyway.)  In that case I would try using (sorry --"utilizing") a wipe-on finish (wipe it on with a rag, wait a bit, wipe it off and let it dry (based on the condition, as far as I can tell, this is what I would do)).  You can buy a small can of gel stain in your desired color at your local hardware store, and the smaller hardware stores tend to be able to give you good advice as well. under $30.   If it doesn't turn out as well as you like, you're not out that much.

 

You can probably find tutorials on replacing the leather seat bottom on Youtube (although as an attorney you might have more money than time), but it doesn't look too bad as is.  Personally, I prefer a cushion to a fixed pad like this, but ymmv.  If there is a solid surface under the cushion (turn the chair over and look at the bottom), which seems likely, you could remove the leather entirely and refinish the seat, get a cushion that you like or have one made -- probably cheaper and easier than replacing the existing seat pad.  Do an online search and you can find all kinds of seat cushions with the look that you want.

 

Good luck!