There Be Chairs!

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There comes a time in a gardener’s life when she wants Adirondack chairs. Real Adirondack chairs, wood and all. We’ve had a lightweight, plastic pair for quite a few years, but they began falling apart. When you’re sitting in a chair and then stand up and the chair snags your shorts and yanks them down–you know it’s time for new chairs.

I mentioned to the hub last spring that it was time for a pair of wooden Adirondack chairs. Silly me, I assumed we’d buy some, but the Hub had different ideas: he wanted to build Adirondack chairs.

Fast forward through the rest of spring and most of summer–there be chairs!!

I like yellow chairs. Yellow is cheery, welcoming, and easy to spot and clean off bird poop. In our front garden, we have yellow metal chairs, with a red table in between.

For our homemade chairs, we discussed natural wood with varnish and color varnish and since I was the decider-in-chief, I chose color varnish. The yellow is bright (maybe too bright?) but I’m generally happy with the chairs and the little blue table set in between, which the Hub also made. Additionally, the chairs are comfortable and each has an ottoman for propping up our feet so that we can watch the birds, bees, and butterflies.

I’ve set the chairs in a shady part of the garden and away from the pond, so that birds, especially during migratory season, can visit without intrusion. I’ll be close enough for photos, but distant enough as not to frighten them.

Thanks Hub and happy sitting!

36 thoughts on “There Be Chairs!”

  2. You’re husband is quite the talent! I’m too short to find Adirondack chairs comfortable – I have never found one that I enjoyed sitting in. We inherited a turquoise version of your yellow Crosley chairs from a neighbor that moved. My husband loves those, and I was so excited to finally find him hanging out in the back yard – thanks to them. Comfy chairs really do make a difference!

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    • Thank, Anna. He enjoys working with wood, but it can take time because…life! I’m sorry you haven’t been able to enjoy Adirondacks, I hope you’ve found some sort of sitting that works for you?

      I loved your photo in yesterday’s WV–and to post, of course. I tried to comment, without success. 😦

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      • That is so weird, but I’ve had the same issues with commenting, so I understand. No worries, Adirondacks look nice in my humble opinion, but they are terribly uncomfortable. I’ve had far better luck with other less iconic chairs. 🙂

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  5. Those chairs are wonderful, and your husband is definitely a craftsman. Many moons ago, my husband commissioned our neighbor to make two Adirondack chairs. These chairs set on our covered back porch for 10 years facing the garden. They got a lot of use. Fast forward, hubby died and I moved to where I get 45″ of rain/year and there was no covered porch. After 6 years, one chair rotted beyond repair, but I still had to have them so I did research and purchased Adirondacks made from extremely rot resistant wood. They are beautiful and comfortable. Two thumbs up for Adirondack chairs of wood. Hope you get many years of enjoyment from them.

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    • I’m very sorry for your loss. Yes, I would imagine with that much rain, wood doesn’t always hold up, but I’m glad you found replacements that work where you live. Two thumbs up, indeed!

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    • Yes, I’m a fan of yellow. It’s not a color I ever wear, but several rooms in my house are various shades of yellow and of course, the chairs…

      Red is another color I really like. I considered both red and blue for the chairs, but I prefer the lighter yellow.

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  7. Tina your husband is a first class handyman. What wonderful wooden Adirondack chairs he’s built and the yellow color you’ve chosen is gorgeous – I love them. The blue table is a charm. Sit on them, support your legs outstretched and enjoy them and enjoy your garden and the songs of the birds. Take good care of both of you. Warm hugs. Best wishes to both of you. Very affectionate greetings from Margarita.

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    • He enjoys working with wood when he has a project, Margarita. These chairs weren’t all that hard to make, it’s just lots of pieces and sanding. I’m glad they’re comfortable and I’m sure we’ll use them well. Hugs to you, too!

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  10. The yellow chairs are beautiful, but I’m curious. In more than 30 years of varnishing, I’ve never heard of ‘yellow varnish.’ What was the name of the product you used? Might it have been a stain or something, rather than varnish? What we might have here the the same distinction that shows up in the plant world: common name vs. ‘scientific’ name. Of course, I’m one of those that never calls polyurethanes ‘varnish’ either, so there’s that.

    The pair of chairs that really appeal are those metal ones. They’re just like the ones on my grandparents’ front porch. There was one swing, four chairs, one stoop, and one long railing: enough to accomodate up to a dozen adults and plenty of kids — as long as the kids were willing to sit on the railing or the floor.

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    • You’re right, it’s a stain, not a varnish. My bad. I don’t recall the brand that he bought, the can is in the garage, but I’m too lazy to take a look. 🙂

      The metal chairs are also very comfortable and he made the table that sits between them. Those chairs are kind of a retro thing and popular at the moment, but mainly, they sit well. That is the garden where the ash tree has been mortally damaged by February’s freeze. Once we take the tree out, it’ll be a full sun garden. Those chairs will be impossible to sit in during the summer days; they’ll be okay in the mornings, evenings, and September through May, so they’ll still get use.

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      • You’re right about those metal chairs and full sun! They’re in the same category then as the plastic seat covers they used to put in cars. Smart people never parked in the sun.

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  11. Oh, those are very nicely done by your hubby. Of course the yellow works great as it matches the metal chairs which remind me of the ones we had at my grandparents’ mountain summer camp in New York State. They were red but so much like yours, comfortable, and had a spring to them which a little kid loved to bounce upon.
    Thanks for liking my blog and getting me over here. Although we do have a somewhat typical yard here, we try to have more garden than lawn and I am slowly adding natives where I can. Re your comment above about the sun on those metal chairs…soft cotton pads might help. 🙂

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    • Hi Steve and thanks! He really enjoyed working on this project. Those metal chairs are the new form of the older form, retro garden, if you will. 🙂 I might just try the cushions, but then what do I do about the Texas Death Star?

      I clicked on your beautiful blog after appreciating your comments on the other Steve’s blog, ‘Portraits of Wildflowers’. Your photos are absolutely stunning! I look forward to following your blog.

      Also, it’s raining ‘Steves’–my husband’s name is Steven!

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      • I am not sure which comments you are referring to, I try not to get political but it’s hard sometimes, and am glad you followed them. Thanks for the kind words for my images. I am now outnumbered as I am Stephen. 🙂

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