THE FARM CHAIR
Two farm chairs dusted with a rare snow in Nacogdoches, TX
My first introduction to this chair was at The Scott Arboretum in Pennsylvania during a summer internship in 2008. I remember the encounter vividly as I approached the chair at dusk and snapped a few pictures of the simplistic construction. I thought, “I don’t know anything about woodworking but this chair is beautiful. And, looks fun.”
Now over a decade later, I’m creating these chairs using locally sourced, rot-resistant eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) and weatherproof screws. I’ve learned more since that first twilight rendezvous. The chair was originally built in 1917 by Gerrit Rietveld when new furniture styles were explored after World War I. He designed it with the belief that furniture should not only be comfortable but also nurture the spirit. Since then, the chair has been adapted and occurs in numerous gardens including Wave Hill in Bronx, New York and Chanticleer in Wayne, Pennsylvania. And, now using plans from renowned horticulturist and woodsmith Dan Benarcik, I’m happy to bring this chair to east Texas.
I believe that in these busy, modern times we need something concrete like this Farm Chair to have a place to sit and slow down and enjoy the outside world and all that the farm life has to offer.
Freshly cut, you can see where eastern red cedar gets it's name. The color will fade to a nice warm tan.