Garden furniture pine is as American as apple pie. There is a rich history of pine furniture for indoor and outdoor application dating back to the colonies. Pine was readily available, easy to shape, and relatively inexpensive. These are all factors which led to it’s success. It’s humble beginnings paved the way for what has become one of the most enduring and versatile styles in outdoor furniture today. The vast pine forests of the northeast and the south provided a steady supply of raw lumber for construction and furniture. The industrial age and the wealthy elite it created , such as the Morgans and the Vanderbilts, were drawn to the Adirondack Mountains with it’s clear streams and natural beauty. As the area grew popular as a weekend getaway, the rustic life was embraced in architecture styles as well as furniture design. Garden Furniture Pine is a soft wood which means that, while an asset for shaping, designs in pine need to have some basic bulkiness to ensure that they will last. This is why most furniture made of pine looks sturdy and substantial. The Adirondack chair is a perfect example of design suited to pine wood or cedar. The Adirondack chair is also somewhat unique in that while being known for it’s casual nature, suitable for a country garden setting or beach campfire, it is also perfectly suited for a rustic mountain lodge of the grandest proportion. Garden furniture pine today owes its legacy to this American tradition. It is versatile enough to be used with a simple stain weathering to a beautiful patina over time. When pressure treated properly it will not rot even when placed in direct contact with earth. Pressure treating also prevents insect infestation. It can also be finished in paint for a more polished finish suitable in classic traditional decor.
Logging practices have been modified to protect this wonderful soft wood and many sustainable plantation grown sources are used to ensure that resources will be protected. American Southern Pine is recognized worldwide as a sustainable source of top quality soft wood timber. Another fine source of sustainable FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) approved lumber is the Collins Amanor Forest in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. The craft and beauty of Adirondack style garden furniture in pine is appealing for its tradition and also for its sense of play. A simple authentically reproduced Adirondack chair true to its classic design never goes out of style. If you are looking for something with a bit of whimsy, there are new fresh twists in vibrant colors available for a more modern look.
Most traditions is garden furniture design are rooted in the ancient cultures of Asia or Europe. This one is uniquely American.