80 FINE WOODWORKING Photo, this page: Robert Erickson
The other six redesigns in this article were made for an
exhibition exploring the Adirondack chair. The chairs vary
from subtle (adding curves to the legs and arms) to radical
recastings (Adirondack as rocker).F
irst designed over
a century ago, the
Adirondack chair is a
casual outdoor stalwart. But
that doesn’t mean it’s a perfect
design. Adirondack chairs
can be uncomfortable and difficult to get in and out of.
And the chair is so common in American yards that it has
become a bit, well, boring. It’s still an icon of American
design, but there’s definitely room for improvement. The
seven designers featured in this article all took up the
challenge of redesigning the venerable classic.
A maker of indoor chairs for 40 years, Robert Erickson
knew that he would rethink structure, comfort, and
color to create an Adirondack chair with the comfort
and beauty of his indoor chairs. He also set the goal of
making a chair that could face the weather with impunity.
After experimenting with two designs, Erickson settled on
a design that blended features of both.Reinventing the
Adirondack
To see an audio slide show of the wide range
of superb chairs Erickson has made in his four-
decade career, go to at FineWoodworking.com/
outdoorprojects.Online Extra
SEATING
7 designers
bring the
classic form
into the
21st century
FWSIP27OP-BI.indd 80 1/30/13 5:49 PM