Funky Adirondack Chair
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
People Also Browsed
Antique Late 18th Century French Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
Vintage 1930s American Adirondack Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
Antique 19th Century American Adirondack Quilts and Blankets
Wool
Antique Late 19th Century American Adirondack Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
Vintage 1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Bronze
Antique 1890s Regency Beds and Bed Frames
Fabric, Wood
Antique 19th Century American Adirondack Quilts and Blankets
Wool
Antique 1860s American Adirondack Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Quilts and Blankets
Cotton
2010s Organic Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Sheepskin, Cedar
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century American Impressionist Landscape Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1950s American Adirondack Lounge Chairs
Hide, Wood
20th Century Italian Post-Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
Antique 1880s American Country Quilts
Cotton
A Close Look at adirondack Furniture
Evoking rusticity and relaxation through simple and elegant designs, vintage Adirondack furniture originated in the Adirondack Mountains of northeastern New York. The most famous piece is the Adirondack chair, which dates to 1903.
With its ample armrests and sturdy but comfortable slanted seat, the reclined Adirondack chair was designed by Thomas Lee for his own country home. The postwar golden age of modern patio and garden furniture production — led by the likes of Brown Jordan, Knoll, Salterini and Woodard — was decades away at the time, and there were few pieces of furniture specifically created for outdoor use.
Lee, a Massachusetts-born Harvard graduate raised in a wealthy family, was no furniture designer. He merely needed a durable, rugged chair for afternoons in the sun while he was vacationing on Lake Champlain in Westport, New York, in the summer. The amateur woodworker used just one wooden plank cut into 11 segments that were jointed together for his now-legendary seat, which is said to have been made of hemlock, hickory or basswood.
The story of the Adirondack chair continues with Lee’s friend, carpenter Harry Bunnell, covertly patenting the chair and going on to produce it as the Westport Plank chair for a growing audience over the next two decades. Over a century later, the Adirondack chair has gone through several design evolutions while maintaining its popularity and basic form with slats of wood such as pine offering comfort both indoors and out.
The widespread demand for rustic Adirondack outdoor furniture was bolstered by the turn-of-the-century establishment of rural escapes to treat diseases such as tuberculosis. The low-slung Adirondack chair became common in these places of convalescence, allowing patients to recline and breathe in the country air. It also complemented the camp-style architecture that was prevalent in the Adirondacks for recreation as well as restoration, where rugged furniture with exposed wood and minimal carving filled interiors and wide porches.
Today, Adirondack chairs are made in a range of materials and can be found around the world, from ski resorts to lakeside piers, their durability and classic form making them an enduring favorite for spending time in nature.
Find vintage Adirondack chairs, benches, lounge chairs, decorative objects, folk art and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021The difference between an Adirondack chair and a Muskoka chair can be easily explained in that garden armchairs are called Adirondack in the USA and Muskoka in Canada. While they both have short legs, bent reclining seats, wide armrests and high backs, the Adirondack chair is 2 inches higher from the floor and 2 inches wider. The Adirondack chair uses a flat yoke at the back while Muskoka might use curved yokes. Shop for an Adirondack chair or Muskoka chair on 1stDibs.