7 Wooden Chairs That Celebrate The Rich Craft of American Design
All American Summer
Slow down, take a seat and savor the summer season in these classic (with a twist) wooden chair designs.
Languid Lounger
With the Great Smoky Mountains painting a postcard-worthy backdrop, Sutherland’s new Wabi Sabi Great Lounge Chair basks in the natural beauty surrounding High Hampton Inn, a quintessential storybook resort nestled in Cashiers, North Carolina. The chair—made of solid teak and topped with cushions in a Perennials’ Kikko fabric—boasts a deep and comfortable seat that’s framed by sleek arms and legs. The design’s delicate balance embodies the Japanese design ethos from which it is named.
Fluid Form
For 50 years, Thos. Moser has been handcrafting North American-hardwood furniture in Maine. Their Pasadena Rocker, shown here in cherry, looks as if it were made for the porch of High Hampton’s rustic Log Cabin, one of the property’s many private cabins dating back to the early 20th century. The chair’s sleek silhouette stands out from its traditional predecessors, with dramatically svelte legs and a back that takes its shape from a single block of wood. A Cross Stitch Linen Pillow Cover from Toast adds a folklike touch apropos for the setting.
Game On
Relaxation beckons with Noir Furniture’s Loredo Chair. Chunky and conical tapered teak legs support a thick woven seagrass seat and half-circle back, which is also available in counter or barstool height as well as in a woven synthetic option. Here, a pair is perched on a stone terrace flanking an antique games table from the Inn’s impressive collection of furniture. The property, rich with charming historical features, wraparound porches and rustic interiors, was recently acquired and lovingly restored by Blackberry Farm.
History Reimagined
Robell Awake’s Quilt Back Poynor Chair No. 1 is named after the Poyner family of Tennessee, who were multi-generational free and enslaved artisans known for crafting ladderback chairs in the 19th and 20th centuries. This modern iteration is made of maple, ash and hickory in a red milk paint and topped with a paper cord seat. Awake’s chair is on display at the Center for Craft in Asheville, North Carolina, and he is the recipient of the center’s Craft Research Fund Artist Fellowship.
Gathered Together
A pair of Bastet Chairs from Peg Woodworking hold court in High Hampton Inn’s main dining room. Flaunting a rounded shape, the chairs take inspiration from the tradition of barrel making, known as coopering, whereby a faceted radius is joined by hand, and feature the bold grain of oiled oak and a deep indigo boucle upholstery.
Stately Seat
Connecticut chairmaker David Douyard crafted his High Sack Back Windsor Chair in the spirit of the 1700s originals but with contemporary flair. As such, the arm and bow are hand-shaped from a single piece of American ash while the spindles are crafted from oak. The piece is finished in a rusty-red, all-natural milk paint.
Youthful Yearning
Lisa Nguyen combined her appreciation for the simplistic forms of Shaker furniture with her childhood memories of swimming in Florida’s bright, blue natural springs for the Fountain Springs Shaker Chair. Woven in a classic checkered pattern with a cotton canvas webbing in New York City, the frame is comprised of ash and oak.