A Variety of Styles of Relaxing Adirondack Chairs

American furniture makers have precious few hallmark designs that are as integrated into our modern culture as relaxing adirondack chairs. These comfy chairs sport wide armrests and a unique, pleasant, design with a slanted back and seat. In the early 20th century Thomas Lee decided to make some furniture for his large family to relax in. This was in New York state. Lee started tinkering with some boards and eventually came up with the recognizable design we know today. If you have ever spent some time sitting in one you know how comfortable they really are.

It is interesting to note that Lee shared his design ideas with a local carpenter named Harry Bunnell. This man locked on to the idea as something that could be patented and sold to other people. Even though these relaxing adirondack chairs were from the Adirondack region, Bunnell actually patented the chair design as the Westport chair. These chairs quickly gained popularity and have evolved and propagated throughout the country and world ever since. This article takes a closer look at some of the ways the first design has grown to include benches, rockers, and other variations, as well as some other considerations.

So, you need to chill out and figure your patio is just the place for that. You are right. A patio with a couple relaxing adirondack chairs can be just what the doctor ordered. If you have a nice little table nearby and a glass of lemonade you are set. The reclining, low slanted back and seat design can now be found in bench form. This is the kind I have and I really like spending time there with one of my kids. Being able to sit side-by-side with someone has its obvious benefits. You get the same great design and style with more room.

If a rocker is more your speed, you can certainly find relaxing Adirondack chairs available in that form as well. I'm not sure what it is about rockers that is so nice, but they sure seem to be. I suppose the gentle rocking motion takes us back to when we were comforted when a parent would rock us to sleep. It just soothes and relaxes us when we move that way. Add the classic large armrests that adirondacks have and this design makes a really nice option.

The original relaxing adirondack chairs were, of course, made out of wood. They still are. Teak is a favorite, but they are also available generally in cedar and other painted woods. The nice thing about teak and cedar is that they can be left to weather and gray naturally and don't have to be stained or painted. Plastic is another popular material. No maintenance needed with these. And, no possibility of slivers. Some of these chairs even fold up for easy storage.

Many people prefer the classic design, but others opt for the ones that have the extended platform for resting their legs on. There is even a chaise lounge variety that has become very popular. Regardless of your preference for style or material, you will never regret adding some relaxing adirondack chairs to your life. Thank you Mr. Lee and Mr. Bunnell!