Adirondack Furniture - What It is and Why You Want It

By Jennifer Akre

Adirondack is the name given to a style of furnishings that date back to the late 1800's. During this time period, immediately following the civil war, upstate New York gained notoriety as a popular tourist destination. People, mostly the rich, flocked to the lavish hotels and guest houses that dotted the rustic landscape of the Adirondack Mountain range to relax and enjoy the tranquility and atmosphere that could be found in these remote destinations.

In order to attract these tourist dollars to his location, one of the locals, William West Durrant, created a unique destination that came to be known as the "Great Camp." In this camp, Durrant utilized many of the natural resources that could be found in the Adirondack Mountain area, such as limbs and leaves, to create beautifully styled, rustic chalets and furniture that mirrored the popular chalets of the Swiss.

Not only did this furniture harmonize with its natural surroundings, it was also very comfortable and durable. It did not take long for Durrant's style to catch on, and soon there were many such camps in the area of the Adirondacks.

From there, this style of furnishings, called Adirondack furniture in honor of the mountain range where it was created, spread to the Rocky Mountains and beyond to become one of the most popular styles of furnishings of that time period.

While the popularity of Adirondack furniture has declined somewhat since the 1930's, the style is still alive and well today. The versatility, durability and comfort of this furniture make it a favorite of people of all ages and personalities.

Although Adirondack furniture is mostly identified by rustic, wooden pieces designed to harmonize with nature, today's styles can accommodate almost any décor and setting. Today, Adirondack furniture is available in a wide variety of finishes and styles to compliment any garden, cabin, home or getaway. They include cedar, teak, plastic, folding furniture and painted finishes. Adirondack furniture can also be customized by the addition of hand painted designs and/or cushions chosen from a wide variety of colors.

In addition to granting you the option of customizing the look of your furniture, the Adirondack furniture style also gives you many choices when it comes to deciding what types of pieces to include in your particular setting. There are many styles of chairs, tables, benches and accessories that can be purchased together or separately to compliment your style and customize your living space.

And Adirondack furniture is affordable. While a single piece may cost you a couple of hundred dollars or more, depending on what you choose, the quality and durability of this furniture are unsurpassed. In other words, the investment that you make in Adirondack furniture today will ensure that you have beautiful, comfortable furnishings years from now. Once you take into consideration how often other types of furnishings need to be replaced, you will agree that Adirondack furniture is well worth the price.

So if you are looking for furnishings that are unique, comfortable, beautiful and durable, and are the envy of your neighbors, Adirondack furniture may be just what you're looking for.

Jennifer Akre is a successful business owner of numerous outdoor websites such as http://www.eAdirondackStyle.com. Her websites provide information and product for Adirondack furniture, Adirondack chairs, and other outdoor furnishing such as teak furniture and garden benches.