Adirondack Decorative Objects
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.
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1970s American Vintage Adirondack Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Pottery
1970s American Vintage Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
1960s North American Vintage Adirondack Decorative Objects
Aluminum
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Objects
Tin
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Objects
Hemp
Late 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Pottery
1890s American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Brass, Iron
Late 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Pottery
19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Pottery
Mid-19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Pottery
19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Pottery
Mid-19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Pottery
19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wicker
Late 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Objects
Concrete
Mid-20th Century Hong Kong Adirondack Decorative Objects
Bamboo
18th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
Mid-20th Century European Adirondack Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Objects
Tin
1960s American Vintage Adirondack Decorative Objects
Bronze
1940s American Vintage Adirondack Decorative Objects
Bronze
1960s American Vintage Adirondack Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Objects
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Marble
1870s American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
Mid-20th Century Hong Kong Adirondack Decorative Objects
Bamboo
1960s American Vintage Adirondack Decorative Objects
Metal
19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
1940s American Vintage Adirondack Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Iron
Late 19th Century Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Oak
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Objects
Iron
Late 20th Century Adirondack Decorative Objects
Hardwood
19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Marble
1940s Italian Vintage Adirondack Decorative Objects
Silver
19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Porcelain
20th Century Adirondack Decorative Objects
Fur
Early 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Adirondack Decorative Objects
Leather, Birch
Late 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
Mid-19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
1860s American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
1950s American Vintage Adirondack Decorative Objects
Antler
Early 1900s American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Iron
Late 19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Pine
19th Century American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
1840s American Antique Adirondack Decorative Objects
Wood
20th Century American Adirondack Decorative Objects
Fur
1920s Italian Vintage Adirondack Decorative Objects
Murano Glass
1940s American Vintage Adirondack Decorative Objects
Iron