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.
Cast Aluminum "Antler" Table Base, Arthur Court
By Arthur Court
Located in Palm Desert, CA
We had 2 cast aluminum and patinated brass finished "Antler" table bases by Arthur Court. These unique and eye catching bases are aluminum, with a bronze finish, carved in the shape of buck antlers...
Aluminum
Rustic Adirondack Plant Stand with 3 Shelves, USA, 20th Century
Located in Queens, NY
Rustic Adirondack style (modern) root design plant stand/pedestal with 3 shelves and an asymmetrical form supported on 3 feet.
Wood
19th Century Adirondack Twig Fern Stand
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique Adirondack Twig Fern Stand, Late 19th Century, a handcrafted pedestal stand made from black cherry branches, having a round pine board top with an applied stockade gallery of whittled and halved branch posts, raised on a crossed tripod of long branches, braced at bottom by branch stretchers. A classic and beautiful example of original Adirondack lodge homemade furniture...
Cherry
Secession Plant Stand
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Secession plant stand with brass fittings. Professionally stained and repolished.
Brass
19th Century French Napoleon Sellette Tiered Etagere Stand
Located in Forney, TX
This eclectic yet elegant Napoleon III period sellette (French, decorative furniture stand) was handcrafted in France in the mid-19th century, most likely Parisian work, solid wooden construction and sculptural form, presents in an ebonized finish with gilded brass mounted accents, featuring a tall round center pedestal surrounded by three scalloped shaped platforms of varied height, rising on parcel gilt fluted column standards, resting on sabre legs. circa 1860 A most distinctive piece, highly sophisticated and with great presence, with nicely aged patina over the whole, heavily worn and distressed finish adds a layer of cozy warmth and unpretentious rustic elegance. Versatile, having the ideal size and proportions for a variety of different uses, including as a jardiniere or cache pot holder, add a romantic warm ambiance as a candle torchiere...
Brass
Antique Wooden Sculpture Stand, 19th Century, French Pedestal Table
Located in New York, US
Wooden antique sculptures stand from France. Perfect for displaying small objects such as art or ceramics.
Wood
$2,750
H 51.97 in Dm 16.1 in
20th Century Art Nouveau Pedestal/ Plant Stand by THONET, Bentwood, AT ca. 1905
By Thonet
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Rare, unusual Art Nouveau pedestal or plant stand by the famous company of Thonet in Vienna. Artfully designed in the early 20th century around 1906, this pedestal provides two round...
Bentwood
19th Century Dutch Mahogany pedestal or Plant Stand
Located in Delft, NL
19th century Dutch mahogany torchère or plant stand A mahogany tripod torchère or plant stand with round top measures 23 cm diagonal The stand is 86 cm high and the weight is app...
Wood
Early 20th Century Root and Twig Tabletop Plant Stand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Early folky twig and root tabletop stand in great condition. This cool three-leg planter is so well made and has a great worn patina. It is very strong ...
Twig
$5,850
H 57 in W 17 in D 17 in
Neo-Gothic 19th Century Octagonal Pedestal / Stand / Architectural Model
Located in Troy, NY
An unusual pedestal of octagonal Neo-Gothic form, the molded base supporting eight shaped and carved columns decorated with typical Gothic designs, topped by eight spikes surrounding...
Oak
$825
H 33.5 in W 10.63 in D 10.63 in
20th Century Chinese Square Carved Rosewood Pedestal Stand with Marble Top
Located in Doylestown, PA
Vintage Chinese square rosewood pedestal stand with inset marble top and carved open work. A wonderful stand in richly toned, beautifully preserved rosewood with bold geometric carv...
Marble
19th Century Dutch Mahogany Pedestal or Plant Stand
Located in Delft, NL
19th century Dutch mahogany torchère or plant stand A mahogany tripod torchère or plant stand with round top measures 23.5 cm diagonal The stand is 93.7 cm high and the weight is...
Wood
19th Century Adirondack Twig Table
Located in Chicago, IL
This 19th-century Adirondack twig table delivers that elusive mix of rustic irreverence and sculptural clarity. The rectangular top, crisply framed in young birch, sets the tone—clea...
Twig
French Late 19th Century Bronze Mounted Pedestal / Table /Plant Stand
Located in New York City, NY
Antique walnut and fruitwood pedestal table with circular top featuring a gallery surround of foliate swag and floral motif ending in tripodal splay leg base. The bronze border is fe...
Fruitwood
$2,799
H 44.89 in W 14.97 in D 14.97 in
Early 20th Century Plant or Display Stand in Hard Wood and Brass
Located in Helsinki, FI
Early 20th century Jugend plant or display stand, likely Finnish or Northern European, executed in warm stained hardwood with refined brass feet. This elegant pedestal reflects the ...
Brass
Late 20th Century Adirondack Style Plant Stand
Located in Chicago, IL
Rooted in the rustic elegance of the Adirondack tradition, this late 20th-century American plant stand embodies the charm of handcrafted design. Made from hand-whittled birch branche...
Willow
Adirondack Folk Art Twig Stand, c.1920s
Located in Savannah, GA
An Adirondack folk art twig stand, circa 1920s. Early paint in perfectly worn state. 15 inches wide by 13 ½ inches deep by 32 inches tall
Wood
Sold
H 26 in W 18 in D 18 in
Vintage Primitive Folk Art Adirondack Cabin Twig Log Table 2 Tier Plant Stand 26
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage adirondack stick or twig table featuring triangular form with two tiers, upper gallery, and bentwood accents.
Bentwood
Sold
H 34 in W 29 in L 34 in
Pair of Dolphin Carved Full Bodied End Tables or Pedestals with Marble Tops
Located in Stamford, CT
Pair of walnut dolphin carved full bodied end tables or pedestals with marble tops.
Wood
Early 20th Century American Cottage Table
Located in Chicago, IL
A charming early 20th century American Adirondack-style pedestal or table from a cottage, constructed of tree branches with bentwood stretchers.
Wood
Sold
H 35.83 in W 28.35 in D 15.75 in
Rustic Adirondack Style Redwood Root Design 1920s Plant Stand/Pedestal
Located in Hilversum, NL
Rustic redwood Adirondack style root design plant stand/pedestal with three shelves and an asymmetrical form supported on 3 feet, 1920s.
Wood
American Primitive Adirondack Tri-Leg Stump Stool Table
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Wonderful Patina from all the past uses. Sturdy, and Heavy Hardwood.
Hardwood
Adirondack Twig Stand with Star Motif
Located in New York, NY
Interesting example of Adirondack twig furniture. This table has a five point star on each of the three sides. Measures: Top 12" W.
Wood
Pair of Rustic Adirondack Root Pedestals
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Rustic Adirondack style (late 20th Cent) root design filigree pedestals resting on 3 feet.
Wood