Know How: To Build an Adirondack Chair
October 08, 2011, By Craig J. Heimbuch 0 comments
If you've never sat in an Adirondack chair and done nothing but read or drink something tasty, then, my friend, you haven't lived. While there is nothing appealing about sitting on a bare wood chair in principle, once you do it a strange sense that you are somehow living the good life washes over you. Usually, you're outside. Maybe near a lake or a pond. There are trees around you. Maybe there's a bit of a snap in the air—fall—and maybe there's something cooking nearby over an open flame.
The Adirondack chair is more than a piece of furniture; it is a declaration of priority. You want young and hip? Go to Ikea. You want something stuffy and staid? Find yourself a leather club chair and a brandy snifter. But if you are looking for peace, relaxation and deep breaths of clean air, then this is the chair for you.
A high school friend of mine and his dad used to build these things by the bushel. It was something they did together. I remember promising myself that I would build one some day. I liked the idea of parking my tired butt in something I built and doing nothing more than watching the world go by. Thing is, though, I'm about as effective in the wood shop as Mario Batali is on the Olympic swimming team.
My dreams were momentarily dashed until I did a bit of Googling and came across this video series from Lowe's. The project is broken into four videos and you can go to the Lowe's Creative Ideas site to download plans, tips and shopping lists. It's a whole lot simpler than I had thought. All you need is a little bit of time and some elbow grease, and then you can find your spot along the lake or river, grab a book and a decent glass of bourbon and watch the world go by.
My friend, it doesn't get much better than that.
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