The Straightest Path to a Great Chair
It’s deeply satisfying to sit in a chair that you’ve created in your own shop—and watch others do the same. Building chairs is also a great way to learn new skills and techniques.
To be fair, chairs face more challenges than any other type of furniture. To be comfortable for a wide array of people, they must incorporate key dimensions, curves and angles. Those same bodies put tremendous stresses on a chair, so strength is also critical. Last, you have to deliver that strength and comfort in a graceful package.
I’ve been making chairs and teaching the craft for many years, and this design is the straightest path I know to a strong, comfortable, elegant chair.
This design is also versatile. As I did here, you can add arms and tilt the back for comfort, making it a fine addition to any living room or den. I also pushed the style toward Greene-and-Greene, with arched shapes, a splined cloud-lift shape on the arms, and the use of sapele, which is close in color to the Greenes’ favored mahogany.
All of these elements—functional and aesthetic—are easily changed without changing the overall approach to construction. Leave off the arms and stand the back up a little straighter, and it’s a classic dining chair. Replace the Greeneand-Greene elements, taper the legs, redesign the back slats, whatever, and the appearance changes significantly.
If you go with a thinner or narrower seat frame, however, you might consider adding a stretcher system to the legs to strengthen the structure, as I sometimes do.
As for the seat itself, I like upholstery, which adds comfort and contrast. I’ll show you how to make a seat template you can take to your local upholsterer (I recommend hiring a pro for this job) or use as your own guide.
Follow along and I’ll show you how I break down a beautiful chair into a series of straightforward steps.
