Patio Lounger

Try your hand at building a durable and stylish seat that’s fit for the great outdoors

- Dillon Baker

One of the more important questions

I have asked myself as a designer is: what justifies art? Does it need to be an objects ability to transcend or define space, time, and or class? Must it be utilitarian — something accessible and prudent by nature? For me, it’s something that possesses all of these qualities, and it takes the physical form of a chair.

I remember Garry Knox Bennett (a twentieth century American woodworker) once said: “chairs and shoes are the hardest things to make. They have to be light… They have to be strong…They have to be aesthetically pleasing. And they have to be comfortable.” It’s these criteria that well define the unique challenge and enduring appeal of creating a “good” chair.

Dating back as far as 2,000 years chairs, like humans, have evolved to adapt to meet the needs of their environment. And with the advent of the Industrial Revolution, new production methods and materials were introduced; however, the primary function of a chair has remained unchanged—which is to “seat”.

So, if you are up for the challenge, or the “ritual of chair initiation,” follow along and create something both modern and practical.

1 Create the angled reference lines on the front and back legs as they are all cut separately and later refined.

2 Go slow and use your line as a guide.

3 I chose a twist bit over a standard Brad-point bit to adequately compete with both the end and face grain.

4 Once your dowel mortises are drilled, check the fit of the dowels that will be used in assembly.

Put Your Chair on a Pedestal