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.
Late 20th Century American Adirondack Furniture
Twig
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Furniture
Wool
1990s American Adirondack Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1970s North American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Ceramic
1970s French Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Brass
1930s American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Wool
19th Century American Antique Adirondack Furniture
Wood
1960s American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Bronze
1970s American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Cement
1880s American Antique Adirondack Furniture
Rush, Wood
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Furniture
Wood
1870s American Antique Adirondack Furniture
Cotton
Late 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Furniture
Cotton, Plexiglass
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Furniture
Brass
20th Century American Adirondack Furniture
Wool, Linen
1980s North American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Furniture
Leather, Hickory
20th Century Australian Adirondack Furniture
Concrete
19th Century Central American Antique Adirondack Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Furniture
Cotton
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Furniture
Hickory
20th Century Venezuelan Adirondack Furniture
Wood, Leather
Late 19th Century English Antique Adirondack Furniture
Horn
1920s American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Fabric, Wool
20th Century American Adirondack Furniture
Wool, Linen
20th Century American Adirondack Furniture
Wood
20th Century American Adirondack Furniture
Hickory
2010s Adirondack Furniture
Fabric, Mahogany
1880s American Antique Adirondack Furniture
Cotton
1880s American Antique Adirondack Furniture
Iron
2010s Adirondack Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
1930s American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Wool, Linen
1940s American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Linen, Wool
2010s Adirondack Furniture
Fabric, Mahogany
Mid-19th Century American Antique Adirondack Furniture
Wood
1890s American Antique Adirondack Furniture
Wood
1930s American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Iron
1950s American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Wood
20th Century American Adirondack Furniture
Iron
2010s Adirondack Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century American Antique Adirondack Furniture
Rush, Wood
Mid-19th Century American Antique Adirondack Furniture
Pottery
1930s American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Wool, Linen
20th Century American Adirondack Furniture
Wool
1930s American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Wool, Linen
Late 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Furniture
Wool
1890s American Antique Adirondack Furniture
Iron, Sheet Metal
1930s American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Cotton
1940s American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Wool, Linen
20th Century American Adirondack Furniture
Wool, Linen
Early 20th Century Persian Adirondack Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Furniture
Velvet
1940s American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Wool, Linen
1940s American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Wool, Linen
Early 20th Century North American Adirondack Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century Russian Antique Adirondack Furniture
Gold Plate
1940s American Vintage Adirondack Furniture
Wool