A typical Adirondack chair
An Adirondack chair (or in Canada, a Muskoka chair) is a type of chair used primarily in an outdoors setting. The first Adirondack chair was designed by Thomas Lee in 1903. He was on vacation in Westport, New York and he needed outdoor chairs for his summer home. He tested the first designs on his family.
The original Adirondack chair was made with eleven pieces of wood, cut from a single board. It had a straight back and seat, which were set at a slant to sit better on the steep mountain inclines of the area. It also featured wide armrests which became a hallmark of the Adirondack Chair.
Today's Adirondack chairs usually feature a rounded back and contoured seat. The style has also been translated to other pieces of furniture, from gliders to love seats. Some modern adirondack chairs can be made out of recycled plastic lumber in addition to wood.
Adirondack chairs are becoming popular as outdoor seating at cafés, because the flat armrests are suitable for setting food and beverages on, making it possible to provide individual seating without using tables.
The Canadian name comes from an outdoor recreational region in southern Ontario north of Toronto where city people have summer cottages.
Sources
- All About the Adirondack Chair, by Miriam Ellis
- More about the history of the Adirondack Chair
