Adirondack Decorative Art
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.
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Art
Wood, Masonite
20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Art
Wood, Masonite
1960s American Vintage Adirondack Decorative Art
Canvas, Masonite
20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Art
Other
Mid-20th Century Turkish Adirondack Decorative Art
Wool
20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Art
Canvas, Paint
20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Art
Wood, Paint
19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Art
Paper
Late 20th Century Turkish Adirondack Decorative Art
Wool
20th Century Turkish Adirondack Decorative Art
Wool
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Art
Marble
Early 1900s American Antique Adirondack Decorative Art
Paper
Late 20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Art
Cowhide
17th Century Belgian Antique Adirondack Decorative Art
Canvas, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary European Adirondack Decorative Art
Plywood
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Adirondack Decorative Art
Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary European Adirondack Decorative Art
Plywood
19th Century Russian Antique Adirondack Decorative Art
Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Adirondack Decorative Art
Canvas, Giltwood
Late 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Adirondack Decorative Art
Ceramic, Majolica
Early 20th Century Adirondack Decorative Art
Paint, Wood, Masonite
21st Century and Contemporary American Adirondack Decorative Art
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Adirondack Decorative Art
Ceramic, Majolica, Faience
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Adirondack Decorative Art
Ceramic, Majolica
1930s American Vintage Adirondack Decorative Art
Glass, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Adirondack Decorative Art
Metal
Mid-19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Art
Cotton
20th Century North American Adirondack Decorative Art
Wool
Mid-20th Century Turkish Adirondack Decorative Art
Cotton
1930s American Vintage Adirondack Decorative Art
Wood
1930s American Vintage Adirondack Decorative Art
Hardwood, Paint
Early 20th Century Adirondack Decorative Art
Mid-20th Century Adirondack Decorative Art
Late 20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Art
Cowhide
19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Art
Paper, Velvet, Oak, Charcoal, Pencil