Outdoor Furniture, Patio Furniture and more!

The quintessential patio chair – tried and true since their inception in 1903 when eleven pieces of wood cut from a single board made their shape – Adirondack chairs are a crowd favorite for entertaining in the backyard, rocking on the front porch, and even folding up when space is needed. It seems that whatever the purpose, an Adirondack chair has a solution for the problem. Thin, reclined, and with a great geometry that accounts for the comfort we seek in an outdoor patio chair, the Adirondack chair varieties serve almost all of our basic human needs in everlasting style.

Treated Pine Kennebunkport Chair: Named after the town in York County, Maine that is known well for its reputation as “a summer haven for the wealthy”, the Kennebunkport Adirondack chair uses Treated Pine in this classy version. Hand-crafted and durable from the nature of its wood, this chair uses galvanized bolts, washers, and nuts to finish out the Adirondack chair’s stylish appearance and help it to sit tall and strong forever.

Polywood Adirondack Rocker: Rocking in the already reclined comfort of an Adirondack chair is a beautiful way to spend the afternoon. Knowing it is made from a Polywood material, or polyethylene plastic lumber, makes you feel that much more at ease knowing you’re keeping forests in tact and plastics out of the landfill. Use this classic porch rocker on your porch or as a set on your patio by the pool. Wherever it decides to rest, a Polywood frame with stainless steel hardware adorning your outdoor living area makes the simple things in life the most pleasurable.

3) Eucalyptus Stained Folding Adirondack Chair: Likely a conversation piece wherever it rocks, the Eucalyptus Stained Folding Adirondack Chair is as apparently luxurious as it is sturdy. Often related to the Teak outdoor furniture whose natural oils help create long-lasting outdoor furniture sets, the FSC Certified Eucalyptus wood is dense and gorgeous when paired with stainless and galvanized steel hardware. To make it even better, this Folding Adirondack chair made it onto this list for its ability to do just as it states – fold up and be put away easily for events, dining or ray of sunshine that comes your way.

4) Red Cedar Southern Wide Slat Adirondack Chair: With massive 5” wide back slats for full body support, the design of this Red Cedar Southern Wide Slat Adirondack Chair lends itself to a great afternoon read or conversation without worry. The deep seating area provides plentiful comfort and lumbar support while the wide arms rest weary limbs at any point during the day. With zinc-plated steel hardware, the Western Red Cedar wood and its 390-lb capacity are a welcome addition to households where size and quality are almost as important as the beautiful design of the patio furniture.

Tags: adirondack chair, adirondack chairs, folding adirondack chair, Outdoor Furniture, outdoor patio chair, patio chair, patio furniture

If you’re unsure about outdoor room design and looking to add outdoor furniture without going over the top, consider an Adirondack chair grouping.  Providing the rustic simplicity many homeowners prefer, these extremely comfortable patio chairs can be dressed up with color to give a stunning focal point.

Taking the plunge to colorful Adirondack chairs focuses your material options.  After all, cedars and teaks do not take paints well at all.  Whether you choose to purchase your chairs already painted, or get them unfinished to paint yourself, you’ll need to consider your materials.

Pine Adirondack Chairs: Both select and treated pines are sturdy, economic materials.  Usually carrying the lowest price tag, Pine does require regular maintenance to deter moisture and insect damage.  The good news is that painting your pine Adirondack chair will take care of the majority of that upkeep.

Cypress Adirondack Chairs: Cypress is an elevated wood very similar to red cedar in its durability and resilience.  But, cypress readily accepts all sorts of paints and stains and holds color beautifully. Cypressene, a natural oil embedded in the heartwood, makes it naturally resistant to insects and decay. When kiln dried, cypress has little tendency to warp or cup. Cypress Adirondack chairs always make a fantastic group.

Polywood Adirondack Chairs: Polywood is a synthetic material created from recycled plastic water bottles and milk jugs once destined for landfills.  It is crafted to look and feel just like real wood, yet is positively affecting the environment by reusing resources.  An incredibly eco-friendly choice, polywood also comes in dozens of brilliant colors.  Unlike painting wood, the color goes completely through the plastic material.  So, you’ll never need to touch up, re paint, or hide scratches in the paint.  The only downside is that you can’t repaint polywood, so while you can change the colors of your pine and cypress Adirondack chairs every season, polywood will stay true for years.  So, be sure you love the color!

Adirondack chairs look great arranged in a circle around a fire pit or conversation table.  But, if you’re lucky to have an expansive front porch, you can also line the up to face the view for relaxed socializing.  Don’t stress too much about arrangement though.  After all, one of the great things about Adirondack chairs is that you can move and rearrange them at the drop of a hat!

Adirondack chairs make fantastic holiday gifts, as well.  Help your loved ones look forward to spring with a fantastic patio chair they will love for years.

Have Fun!
Hazel

Tags: adirondack chair, adirondack chairs, cypress adirondack chairs, Outdoor Furniture, patio chairs, pine adirondack chair, polywood adirondack chairs

The addition of Adirondacks chairs will add charm to any yard or patio.  The use of natural materials and the simple design of the Adirondack chair harkens back to a simpler time in American history.  Before purchasing Adirondack chairs or any other style of outdoor furniture, it’s a good idea to consider the benefits of the different materials that are available.

The design of the Adirondack chair is well-suited to a variety of materials.  Traditional Adirondack chairs are constructed from cedar, pine and other durable woods.  Cedar Adirondack chairs and Pine Adirondack chairs can be sealed and treated to withstand outdoor weather.  When left untreated, the wood will take on a silvery gray appearance that many people feel enhances the look of the chair.  Cypress Adirondack chairs are another popular choice for outdoor furniture.  Cypress wood, like cedar and pine, is durable and rot resistant when properly maintained.

Polywood Adirondack chairs are a modern alternative to wooden Adirondack chairs.  This resin material has a similar appearance to wood, but is more lightweight and requires less maintenance.  While pine Adirondack chairs can be painted, a colored polywood Adirondack chair will have a more uniform appearance since the color is added when the polywood is manufactured.  In addition, polywood Adirondack chairs are not subject to many of the problems inherent in untreated wooden furniture, including corrosion, insect damage and rot brought on by excessive moisture.

The choice of materials for Adirondack chairs is really a matter of personal preference.  With so many options available, there are Adirondack chairs available that will satisfy the requirements of any homeowner.

Tags: adirondack chair, adirondack chairs, cedar adirondack chairs, cypress adirondack chairs, Outdoor Furniture, polywood adirondack chair, polywood adirondack chairs, wooden adirondack chairs

The Adirondack chair is an iconic symbol of outdoor living in America.  This rustic wooden chair originated in the town of Westport in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.  A man named Thomas Lee, who summered in Westport in a home named Stony Sides, needed more outdoor seating for his large family.  In 1903, he fashioned a comfortable chair from wooden slats that featured a slanted back and wide armrests.  His created several versions of his new chair to accommodate his family of 22.

Lee shared his new chair design with a local Westport carpenter named Henry Bunnell, who realized that the simple wooden chair would have a universal appeal.  Unbeknownst to Lee, Bunnell patented the chair design, calling it the Westport chair.  He constructed and sold Westport chairs for the next 25 years.

In the years since Thomas Lee devised his distinctive chair and Henry Bunnell profited from it, the Westport chair evolved and came to be known as the Adirondack chair.  There have been many variations on Lee’s original design.  Other outdoor furniture makers experimented with the number of slats used and with the chair’s proportions and silhouette.  Throughout the years, however, the essential features of the original chair have survived.

Today, a wide variety of Adirondack chairs and other outdoor furniture pieces are available, including settees, rockers, gliders and love seats.  The Adirondack style continues to be one of the most popular for outdoor furniture.  Its wide seat and slanted back are perfect for outdoor relaxation.  The wide armrests from the original Westport chair, which are well-suited for holding food and drink, still appear in many Adirondack chairs.

Henry Bunnell used hemlock when building his chairs since it was readily available in Westport.  Hemlock is not known for its durability and is not often used for outdoor furniture.  More durable types of wood are now used for Adirondack-style furniture, including cedar, pine, eucalyptus, cypress and teak.  Synthetic materials are also used to create lighter Adirondack chairs with increased weather resistance.  Folding Adirondack chairs that can be easily transported to the beach or taken along on camping trips are also available.

For over a century, the rustic charm of the Adirondack chair has made it one of the most popular choices for outdoor furniture.  The Adirondack chair is a true American classic that will never go out of style.

Tags: adirondack chairs, folding adirondack chairs, Outdoor Furniture, outdoor seating

Remember that one Tuesday morning when I told you I wake up on Tuesday full of eager excitement for Blog Hop Tuesday?  This Tuesday I woke up with a twinge of sadness, as I realized this was the last Blog Hop Tuesday. But, no need to rain on Julianna’s Adirondack parade!

Julianna Hudgins is a well-known mover, shaker and influencer in the creative crafting community.  Adored by fans worldwide, she has built a loyal following through her regular television appearances on QVC craft and toy hours, TNN’s Aleene’s Creative Living, HGTV’s Carol Duvall Show, PBS Scrapbook Memories, DIY Scrapbooking, Discovery Channel’s Home Matter’s, Shop at Home TV, and the Home Shopping Network. Julianna’s sincerity, compassion, and genuine enthusiasm for the creative arts has built a loyal viewing and shopping audience for many years. Julianna was selected by the Craft & Hobby Association to present the latest trends and techniques at the Japan Hobby show in Tokyo, has earned recognition as one of the “Top Eight Scrapbooking Authorities” by the DIY Network and has penned four insightful books on various aspects of crafting.

Known by friends and industry professionals as “Jewels”, Julianna is married to Rich and mother to Josh and her boxer dog, Billybob. She enjoys traveling, making jewelry, shopping and spending quality time with friends and family.

Zebra print and peacock feathers? I’m in– Check it out!

See what Pat Sloan thinks, or hop over to get Julie Fillo’s opinion.  The impatient crafter, Margot Potter, will be giving her two cents, as will the glitter chica Kathy Cano-Murillo.  Plus, Kathy Peterson, who designed the Adirondack chair in the first place, is giving her own commentary!

Tags: adirondack chair, blog hop

It’s blog hop Tuesday with the Crafty Chica! Her Adirondack chair is absolutely gorgeous, and almost edgy! What’s that? An edgy Adirondack chair? You bet! One part Kathy Peterson Adirondack Chair plus one part creativity… Perfection!  I love outdoor furniture.

Kathy Cano-Murillo is a writer, artist, and craft product designer. She has sold her “Chicano Pop Art” crafts and products to hundreds of retailers including Bloomingdales, Target and Michaels. She has authored seven books including Crafty Chica’s Guide to Artful Sewing and is the founder of www.CraftyChica.com, a wildly popular site crafty lifestyle site. She has a web series on LifetimeTV.com, has been profiled in The New York Times, USA Today, NPR and has an extensive Crafty Chica product line. Kathy’s new novel entitled Waking Up in the Land of Glitter debuted in March. Kathy lives in Phoenix, AZ, with her husband, two kids and five Chihuahuas. Her motto for life is “Crafts, drama and glitter”.

Hop on over to her blog so you can create one for yourself!

Ahhh… Blog Hop Tuesday.  Is there any better kind of Tuesday? Mardi Gras is really the only other Tuesday of note that I can think of.  But, seriously, add a purple, green, and gold color scheme to a hip and unique Mardi Gras Adirondack Chair and I’m set!

Speaking of perfection in color schemes, Margot Potter takes design to an editorial level.  Do you ever see a room, an outfit, or a piece of art that effortlessly tells a dynamic story?  To me, a big wrap-around porch with plush and comfy outdoor furniture always tells the narrative of a hot southern evening eating sweet vanilla bean ice cream and watching fireflies dance.  And, one of the biggest story-tellers in outdoor furniture is color… which is why the Kathy Peterson Inspirations: Outdoor Lifestyles line is so passionate about it.  This blog hop allows five different designers to tell five completely inimitable stories using color and down-right craftiness.

Margot Potter a.k.a. The Impatient Crafter™ is a designer, author, mixed media artist, trash to treasure trover, freelance writer, consultant, public speaker, actor and vocalist and TV personality who creates innovative designs for manufacturers, books and magazines and teaches popular seminars and classes at craft and major jewelry industry events.

She approaches everything with her signature sense of humor, boundless curiosity and copious amounts of joie de vivre because she feels that if its not fun, its simply not worth doing. She invites people to not only think outside of the box, but to tear it up, repurpose it into something fabulous and stand on it to reach for the stars. Shes equally comfortable at the writers desk, in the design studio, onstage or in front of the camera. She’s been a professional performer for twenty four years and a crafty chick since before she was old enough to hold a Crayola®.

So, want to hear (and see!) a simply amazing story?  Hop on over to Margot Potter’s The Impatient Crafter’s Blog for a tale of 1940’s romance told through an Adirondack Chair.  I’m not kidding! Plus, Margot even gives tips and tricks so you can create your own tale from an Adirondack Chair.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the chair.

Tags: adirondack chair, blog hop, Outdoor Furniture

I woke up this morning and my first thought was, “Yay! It’s blog hop Tuesday!”

Okay, that was a lie.  I think my first thought was actually, “It’s early, where’s the coffee…” But, immediately after that one was the blog hop one.  I promise.

If you’re not up to date on our blog hop, we have five talented, creative, and incredibly diverse designers featuring their expertise in crafts, painting, jewelry, beading and more on 5 different Kathy Peterson Adirondack Chairs.  We wanted to take an outdoor furniture staple, and show how it can be made completely unique.

Last week, quilt designer Pat Sloan knocked her chair out of the water. And this week, painter, Julie Fillo, is sure to inspire a ton of creativity!

Julie Fillo has been painting and loving birds and flowers most of her life. She paints in acrylics and mixed media and loves to splash color and portray exuberance in what she calls Contemporary Folk Art. She really enjoys making up flowers and plants and birds, but lately has been collaborating with a Taiwanese photographer, Sushyue Liao, using his bird images in her paintings.

She has been married 35 years, has 3 wonderful children and 2 beautiful grandchildren. She paints in a tiny studio upstairs that looks out on the back garden in a 105 year old home in the North Slope Historic District in Tacoma, WA.

If you’ve never seen, experienced, or looked into Contemporary Folk Art–I promise that her work will get you excited.  She is amazing!

Hope on over to Julie Fillo’s Art Blog to check out all of the photos, design steps, inspirations, and more!  I love all of the little details she included– like a hidden creepy, crawler, friend!

Don’t miss this one! When art, crafts, outdoor living, design, and blogging all come together– everyone wins.

Have Fun!

Hazel.

Tags: adirondack chairs, blog hop, design, Outdoor Furniture

I am positively BUZZING about today’s premier blog hop for Kathy Peterson’s Adirondack Chair.   Our first Adirondack chair comes from Pat Sloan!

Pat Sloan has been creating since she was a child.  From the first shoebox dioramas to sketches for a fabric line, there has always been creative energy flowing.  When she tried her hand at quilting in 1985, she never looked back.  Now, owner and founder of the quilting design and publishing company Pat Sloan & Co., she has published over 20 books, more than 100 patterns, nearly 10 fabric lines, and has had her work featured in major quilt magazines.

Pat first began sharing her knowledge through her publications, workshops, and lectures, but has expanded her reach through social media.  She has built quilting yahoo groups, forums, facebook communities, and even the group “Quilters in Second Life” for quilting enthusiasts using the popular virtual world, Second Life.  Also interested in beading, painting, and paper crafting, Pat’s overall passion has always been to help others harness their creative energy.

As a quilt designer, she designed her Adirondack chair to look like a double wedding ring quilt pattern.  My favorite part about it is that the warm, comfy feeling I get when wrapped up in one of my mother’s quilts is so similar to that relaxed, happy feeling I get when sinking into an Adirondack chair.  It’s the perfect pairing!

She shows you the steps to create it yourself, as well as materials, tips, and cute quips!  Hop on over to check it out!

Click to see the rest of Pat Sloan’s Double Wedding Ring Quilt Adirondack Chair

Have Fun!

Hazel

Tags: adirondack chair, blog hop, Outdoor Furniture, painting, pat sloan, patio furniture, quilts

If you’re looking for an excellent summer project for you and your family, look no further than the blog-osphere!.  TV designer, Kathy Peterson, is using her exclusive new line of patio furniture, Kathy Peterson Inspired-Outdoor Lifestyles to excite creative mastery in crafters everywhere.

“When I was creating my line of patio furniture, I wanted to offer as many color options as possible,” said designer, Peterson. “But, I also wanted to invite the creative in all of us to participate in the fun, so I crafted each piece from Cypress to allow for easy painting and decorating.”  Cypress, a resilient hard word with natural oil embedded in the heartwood, makes it naturally resistant to insects and decay. When kiln dried, cypress has little tendency to warp or cup. But, beyond its durability, it readily accepts all sorts of paints and stains.  “I wanted to find a way to inspire people to put their own personal touch on their outdoor living spaces,” Peterson commented.

To reach this goal, Kathy Peterson hand selected five diverse designers with talents in all areas of creativity.  Each designer will be putting her own unique decorating touch on an unfinished Adirondack chair from Kathy’s line.  Highlighting a designer project every Tuesday from July 20 to August 17, each blogger will be posting photos, directions, inspirations, and materials for her distinctive spin. Everyone involved is anxious to see the completed projects.  As the coordinator, I can tell you that everyone has been buzzing about how each designer is putting her own creative touch on it.

If you thought that once you’ve seen one Adirondack chair, you’ve seen them all… think again!  Kathy Peterson gathered five incredibly unique crafters and designers that will each redefine how you see an Adirondack chair.  And, seeing them all is as easy as ever!

Just stop by this blog (or any of the designer blogs) every Tuesday to see a sneak peak of the decorated chair and a link over to the featured blog.  Then, hop on over there and see all the photos and inspirations!

These versatile designers include Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter TV personality cracking up readers and inspiring creativity in six humorous how-to design books; Kathy Cano-Murillo, author of the crafting book “Waking Up in the Land of Glitter”; Julianna Hudgins, an HGTV and DIY network regular; Julie Fillo, an off beat painter whose work reflects folk tendencies and soul-searching inspiration, and Pat Sloan, a highly sought quilt designer and master quilter.

Beaders, Jewelry makers, quilters, scrap bookers, glitter enthusiasts? How can you not be dying to see what they’re plans are for an Adirondack chair?! It kicks off with Pat Sloan, quilter, tomorrow morning.  So, stop back to see the creativity and get inspired!

Have Fun!!

Hazel.

Tags: adirondack chairs, blog hop, Kathy Peterson Inspirations, Outdoor Furniture, patio furniture, tv designers