Adirondack Loveseats
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.
2010s Adirondack Loveseats
Fabric, Mahogany
2010s Adirondack Loveseats
Fabric, Mahogany
19th Century American Antique Adirondack Loveseats
Willow, Twig
19th Century American Antique Adirondack Loveseats
Twig
1960s Danish Vintage Adirondack Loveseats
Leather
1960s American Vintage Adirondack Loveseats
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Loveseats
Wrought Iron
1960s French Vintage Adirondack Loveseats
Leather, Wood
1940s American Vintage Adirondack Loveseats
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Adirondack Loveseats
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
1970s Swiss Vintage Adirondack Loveseats
Leather
Mid-20th Century Italian Adirondack Loveseats
Iron
1970s American Vintage Adirondack Loveseats
Steel
Late 20th Century Swiss Adirondack Loveseats
Leather, Mohair
Early 2000s American Adirondack Loveseats
Cane, Teak
1950s Italian Vintage Adirondack Loveseats
Upholstery
1970s American Vintage Adirondack Loveseats
Linen, Oak, Cane
1950s American Vintage Adirondack Loveseats
Fabric, Rattan, Hardwood
20th Century American Adirondack Loveseats
Wood