Adirondack Armchairs
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 Armchairs
Fabric
1950s French Vintage Adirondack Armchairs
Cane, Mahogany
1950s American Vintage Adirondack Armchairs
Iron
1970s American Vintage Adirondack Armchairs
Wood
1860s English Antique Adirondack Armchairs
Pine
1930s American Vintage Adirondack Armchairs
Suede, Hickory
Early 20th Century North American Adirondack Armchairs
Twig
Early 1900s Antique Adirondack Armchairs
Wood
Mid-19th Century American Antique Adirondack Armchairs
Wood, Cane
19th Century American Antique Adirondack Armchairs
Bone
1950s American Vintage Adirondack Armchairs
Wood
19th Century Unknown Antique Adirondack Armchairs
Iron
Early 1900s American Antique Adirondack Armchairs
Oak
1930s Vintage Adirondack Armchairs
Rattan, Hardwood
1930s American Vintage Adirondack Armchairs
Hickory
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Armchairs
Wicker
Mid-20th Century Adirondack Armchairs
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
2010s British Adirondack Armchairs
Sheepskin, Beech, Oak, Walnut
2010s Danish Adirondack Armchairs
Sheepskin, Beech, Oak, Walnut
2010s Danish Adirondack Armchairs
Sheepskin, Beech, Oak, Walnut
Early 20th Century Adirondack Armchairs
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Adirondack Armchairs
Iron, Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Adirondack Armchairs
Iron, Wrought Iron
20th Century American Adirondack Armchairs
Teak
Mid-20th Century Adirondack Armchairs
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Spanish Adirondack Armchairs
Wood
2010s Spanish Adirondack Armchairs
Iron
2010s Portuguese Adirondack Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century American Adirondack Armchairs
Leather, Fabric, Wood
Early 1900s American Antique Adirondack Armchairs
Oak
1930s Vintage Adirondack Armchairs
Rattan, Hardwood
1930s American Vintage Adirondack Armchairs
Hickory
20th Century American Adirondack Armchairs
Leather, Velvet, Wood, Hickory
1930s American Vintage Adirondack Armchairs
Wool, Wood
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Armchairs
Hickory
20th Century American Adirondack Armchairs
Cane, Hickory
1940s American Vintage Adirondack Armchairs
Hickory, Leather
20th Century American Adirondack Armchairs
Wicker
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Armchairs
Reed, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack Armchairs
Upholstery, Oak, Leather