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.
American Rustic Adirondack Style Rectangular Dining Table
By Ben Davis
Located in Queens, NY
American Rustic Adirondack-style rectangular dining table with slat knotty trimmed apron and pine top (Attributed to Ben Davis)
Pine
Extra Large Adirondack Resin Antler Chandelier Four Feet Wide
Located in West Hartford, CT
Large, unusual and coveted antler chandelier that is electrified and wired for the US and in working condition. This piece measures 48 inches wide. The antlers look life-like but a...
Resin
Rustic Country House Bench
Located in Sturminster Marshall, Dorset
Created solely out of teak branches these are fabulous and totally unique country house style garden seats of grand proportions. Please note we are currently working to a 30-36 week...
Teak
Hans-Agne Jakobsson pair of wall lamps, IFÖ, Sweden 1960
Located in Paris, IDF
Hans-Agne Jakobsson, two pairs of wall lamps/bathrooms lamps, IFO, Sweden, 1960'S. Glazed ceramic with conical opal glass shades. Marked IFO. Height 21, length from the wall 11 cm 5 ...
Ceramic, Glass
Large Trophy Quality Mounted Moose Antlers 'Nova Scotia'
Located in Bellport, NY
Pair of large Trophy quality Moose Antlers mounted on premium tanned buck hide and custom wood plaque. Origin, Nova Scotia (Private Collection 1/6)...
Antler
Magnificent Michael Taylor Style Tree Root Table Mid-Century Modern
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Magnificent Tree root table in the style of Michael Taylor. The table top measures 74"l x 36" at its widest. The table root base measures 16"t x 58"l...
Glass
Adirondack Twig Table & Basket. Great Character.
Located in Buchanan, MI
Adirondack Twig Table & Basket. The table measures 26" tall. The base is 17" wide and 17" deep, while the top measures 12 1/2" wide and 12 1/2" deep. The basket measures 10" wide...
Twig
19th Century English Mahogany SchoonerShip Model, Great Attention To Detail Rare
Located in Buchanan, MI
19th Century English Mahogany Schooner Ship Model, Great Attention To Detail. This came out of a very important collection.
Mahogany
Mid Century Modern Large Sculptural Driftwood Table Lamp, 1960's
Located in Bedford Hills, NY
A monumental and highly sculptural vintage table lamp that artfully mimics the gnarled, organic texture of natural driftwood. Frequently attributed to designers like Tony Paul or com...
Driftwood
$1,500
Antique Style Ladder
Located in Tarrytown, NY
Nice decorative antique looking ladder. Washed green paint, worn look.
Wood
Stately Taxidermy Reindeer Mount. Great Scale And Great Condition.
Located in Buchanan, MI
Stately Taxidermy Reindeer Mount.
Fur
Fine 19th Century English Mahogany Schooner Steam Boad Model in Custom Case Rare
Located in Buchanan, MI
Fine 19th century English mahogany schooner steam boad model in custom case. Great attention to detail. This came from a very prominent North Shore Estate. Would look great displayed...
Glass, Mahogany
Antique Italian Marble Mortar, White Marble, Circa 1850, Kitchen Tool
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
An antique Italian marble mortar for Your kitchen in WHITE marble, smaller; the other one (darker) in stone, more antique, has been sold. The mortar is very useful in the kitchen: i...
Marble
An English Horn Chair and Ottoman 20th Century adorned with spurs. Height 43 x
Located in Buchanan, MI
An English Horn Chair and Ottoman Covered In Cowhide, Brass Head Trim. 20th Century adorned with spurs. Height 43 x width 29 x depth 35 inches. Can save shipping charges...
Horn
$793Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Hand-Crafted Fruitwood Bird Cage, Adirondack Style, Circa 1920
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
O/7346 - Old cage for bird, but with a bright little bird ! leaving the birds free! the little bird can light up.
Fruitwood
Rustic Adirondack Pine Dining Table, French 1940s, Rectangular Design
Located in Queens, NY
Rustic Adirondack-style (French 1940s) chipped pine rectangular dining table with a stretcher (Related Items: 060975, 060977, 060979)
Pine
$840Sale Price / set|20% Off
Antique Oval Bentwood Apothecary Boxes Set, Hand-Crafted, Italy, 1759
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
The measurements marked are for the larger box, the other ones I cannot write here because 1stdibs deletes every number. Inside the lid there is an inscription with the name of own...
Bentwood
Mexican Bronze Bust, circa 1920s
Located in Stamford, CT
A Bust of a young Mexican Man. Unmarked on marble base.
Bronze
Handsome Leather Horse Colar Mounted With Iron Coat Hooks, Incasing Mirror
Located in Buchanan, MI
Handsome leather horse colar mounted with iron coat hooks, incasing mirror. Have other horse related items.
Iron
$1,458Sale Price|34% Off
Poster from Atelier Fornasetti, 1990s
Located in Montelabbate, PU
Fornasetti panel, printed silk enclosed between 2 Plexiglas panels, Compagnia del Tabacco 1990. Below left the Fornasetti brand and Tobacco Company.
Silk, Acrylic
Rustic Cedar Desk With Woven Birch Bark Marquetry
Located in Northport, MI
Crafted with naturalistic charm and thoughtful functionality, this rustic lodge-style desk features a hand-built design that brings the outdoors inside. The tabletop is formed from s...
Birch, Cedar