While visiting a friend's cottage recently, I had the luxury of sitting in this comfortable chair.
Known as the Muskoka chair, I decided to do a little research. Apparently a Canadian Thomas Lee while vacationing in New York in 1903 wanted a summer chair for his family. Designed the chair and asked a local carpenter to make some for him to take back to his summer home in the Muskoka area in Ontario. The carpenter Harry Bunnel patented and sold the chairs for 20 years but they were called the Adirondack chairs since it was the region in New York.
Muskoka chairs are made in many locations in Canada from some of our finest woods. Not only are they used at many rural settings- farms and cottages but are in backyards. They can be painted any colour to match a personal preference or decor.
They are a nice addition to any deck. The best thing is friends can sit and chat together, read the newspaper or even enjoy the view. There is something grounding about being in the chair. Does it remind us of our lazy summer childhoods in rural Ontario? Do you have Muskoka chairs where you live? Did you know the name does come from the municipality of Muskoka in Ontario? Some people may call it the Adirondack chair since they were made in New York as well. According to my little research even jumped across the ocean to Europe where some knockoffs are made. I like to think the chair is another item to add to our long list of Canadian icons. What do you think? Childhoood memories? Canadian icon? Or it's just a chair!
When I lived near Carman, I bought the plans for these from Lee Valley and, with friends, built 9 of these wonderful chairs using clear cedar. My 4 clear-stained chairs are now split between my two kids for their yards.
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