Adirondack chairs have become a mainstay in the list of classic all-American furniture items and today the Adirondack chair is no less of an American icon than the la-z-boy recliner. Also known as Muskoka chairs, Adirondack chairs have a rustic, rural sort of appeal, probably because of the bare exposed wood with no upholstery and therefore are a perfect furniture item for outdoor settings like patios, lawns and backyards. The lack of upholstery creates a sort of Spartan simplicity appeal that is in sync with the idea of carrying the bare minimum essentials on outdoor adventures. The lack of upholstery and the inherently sturdy design also means that the chairs are better equipped to withstand the elements and hence more survivable in the outdoors. The wide armrests have another advantage which makes them popular in restaurants, bistros and cafes. They can be used to serve and place drinks and plates of food, hence eliminating the need for a table.
Adirondack chairs are named after the Adirondack Mountains in Westport, New York, where Thomas Lee first designed the chair way back in 1903. He needed a suitable chair design for his summer house in the mountains and after experimenting with various designs and asking his family for their feedback, he finally settled on a prototype made of eleven pieces of wood and the resulting chair was not too unlike the Adirondack chairs of today. The difference was, the back was straight instead of the rounded that we see today. Adirondack chairs are characterized by a straight back made of parallel narrow planks of wood and wide armrests. Today's modern Adirondack chairs have contoured seats and are made of modern materials like composite plywood. But they still retain the Adirondack touch. A lot of other furniture designs have also been inspired by the original Adirondack design. In fact, the Adirondack chair has so become a part of popular culture that the term adirondacking is in fact a verb. It is a term used primarily in the southern American states and means public picnicking sessions. Usually, the preferred mode of seating in these gatherings is, you guessed it, the Adirondack chair. The fact that the term adirondacking' has been coined in the south despite the Adirondack chair being invented in the north is testament to how the chair has found acceptance and appeal all over the country. The creation of Adirondack chairs is also a common carpentry project in schools and apprentice workshops.
