Stick Chairs
One of my primary passions is building stick chairs – vernacular peasant pieces built with simple lines, local woods and strong joints. These striking but comfortable chairs are found in cottages and rural dwellings all over the world. Like the antique originals, my chairs are made mostly with basic hand tools and domestic woods. And thanks to the form’s simple lines, stick chairs fit in with almost any design aesthetic, from traditional to post-modern.
Every stick chair is supposed to be a little different from other chairs – no two are exactly alike. Each chair takes on its own personality through the series of small decisions I make throughout the construction process. Some of these choices are made by the material – the natural curve of the grain might dictate the shape of the arm. Other choices are made by its future owner.
These chairs can be designed to be used upright for dining or at a desk – or to be more relaxed as a lounge chair. By carefully selecting the angle of the back (I like between somewhere between 13° and 19°), plus how high the arm is off the seat, and the placement of back sticks, I can make a chair that will both cradle and support you.
Aside from the chair’s mechanics, stick chairs can be customized in myriad ways, from the type of wood and finish, to the shaping of the seat, armbow, hands, and comb. All of these elements can be shaped to create a chair that is unique and in harmony with its surroundings.
When I have an extra chair available, I post them for sale here. Or they can be made to order. My chairs cost between $750-$1,400, depending on the style, wood species and finish. The average cost for a tall comb-back stick chair finished in a natural oil/wax is $1,200. I am happy to deliver a chair for free within a 50-mile radius of Seattle.
I think a well-built stick chair is one of the most comfortable chairs you can own. For me, the small and large design choices that come with each chair make building the next chair just as exciting as my first. Drop me a line, and we can talk about commissioning a stick chair that suits you.
