Build a Modern Adirondack Chair

A few weeks ago my neighbor gave me some unwanted lumber. A couple of the pieces were redwood, which made me start thinking about building something for an outdoor space . . . perhaps an adirondack chair for our bare front porch. I began searching for some patio chair inspiration, and knew I had found what I was looking for when I saw this modern adirondack chair from Rejuvenation

Build a Modern, Rejuvenation-Inspired Adirondack Chair

I drew up some plans and then built this chair entirely from my scrap pile + free lumber from my neighbor. Even if you don’t have a large scrap pile or a neighbor giving away lumber, I’m certain you can build this modern adirondack chair in a single day for WAY LESS than $499, which is what you’d pay if you get it from Rejuvenation.

This post provides the tutorial for building my modern adirondack chair, heavily inspired by Rejuvenation’s. If you’re interested in printable plans with a cut list, parts diagrams and exact dimensions of each piece, you can find those here: 

Modern Adirondack Chair Building Plans

Modern Adirondack Chair Side View

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How to Build a Modern Adirondack Chair

Recommended Tools

  • Miter Saw
  • Table Saw
  • A Taper Jig is helpful if you plan on adding tapers to the legs and back like I did. I have a tutorial for a very simple taper jig, but the one I used for this project is one I built following a tutorial from 3×3 Custom
  • Pocket Hole Jig
  • Drill or Impact Driver with bits
  • Woodworking Clamps
  • Sander + Sandpaper

Optional Tools: 

  • Kreg pocket hole clamp (not absolutely necessary, but makes assembly a lot easier.)
  • A homemade spacer, made from scrap wood (to maintain even spacing between slats)

Materials

LUMBER

  • (5) 1×4 x 8ft (for slats, front legs, arms, and arm attachment pieces)
  • (1) 1×6 x 8ft (for chair back top)
  • (2) 2×6 x 8ft (for chair seat sides, chair seat front, chair back sides, and back legs visible)
  • (1) 2×3 x 8ft (for back legs hidden support)

OTHER

  • 2-½” exterior pocket hole screws
  • 1-¼” exterior pocket hole screws
  • 1.5” Exterior Screws
  • 2.5” Lag Bolts
  • Wood glue (something meant for exterior, like Titebond III)
  • Wood Filler
  • Finish of choice (I used an oil-based primer, exterior paint, and an exterior top coat)

Chair Back Side Pieces

Begin by cutting the two chair back sides. Using a taper jig on your table saw, add a taper to the back edge. If you’re looking for a super simple taper jig, I have a tutorial here: Simple Taper Jig. The one I made and use now, however, is one I built following a tutorial by 3×3 Custom.

Next, make two pocket holes at the bottom, inside face of the chair back side piece. These pocket holes are where you’ll attach the chair back side to the chair seat side.

Taper Jig on Table Saw to Make Chair Sides
Taper Cut on Chair Side Piece

Repeat the above steps to make the other chair back side piece, then set both aside.

Build the Chair Seat

Cut the chair seat front and chair seat sides from a 2×6. Make pocket holes on both ends of the chair seat side pieces.

Building Modern Outdoor Chair

Using three 2-½” pocket hole screws, join one of the chair seat side pieces to the chair seat front piece. Don’t attach the second chair seat side piece yet, as that will make it difficult to add the seat slats.

Chair Seat Slats

Cut five chair seat slats from 1×4 lumber. Use a stop block to ensure that each of the wooden seat slats are cut to the exact same length. I clamped a piece of scrap wood to my miter station to use as a stop block.

Stop Block for Slat Cuts
Makeshift Stop Block for Slat Cuts

Make two pocket holes on each end of the chair seat slats (on the bottom face).

Pocket Holes on Chair Slats

Attach the first four seat slats with 1-¼” exterior pocket hole screws to the chair seat side:

Spacer for Chair Slats

If desired, make a spacer from scrap wood to ensure consistent spacing between each slat. (you can see my spacer between the two slats in the photo above.)

Before screwing in the 5th seat slat, attach the chair back side piece (you cut two of these in the first step) with 2-½” exterior pocket hole screws. The chair back side piece will be attached with four screws (two through the chair seat side and two through the chair back side). Once the fifth slat is added, it may be more difficult to access these pocket holes.

Joining Chair Sides with Pocket Screws
Add Chair Side Back Piece

Attach the fifth chair seat slat:

Add Fifth Chair Slat

Chair Seat Side Two

Using four 2-½” pocket hole screws, join the remaining chair seat side with the remaining chair back side piece.

Outdoor Chair Side

Attach this to the chair seat front with 2-½” pocket hole screws through the three pocket holes at the front of the chair seat side piece.

Fasten Chair Seat Slats to Second Side

Next, attach the chair seat slats to this second chair seat side. I flipped the “chair” on its side (with the already attached side on top) and clamped it to my assembly table. I used the same spacer to keep slat spacing consistent.

Spacing Chair Slats

Flip the chair so that it is right side up. It should now look like this, and the seat slats should be securely fastened with screws to both of the chair seat side pieces:

Building Outdoor Chair Seat

Assemble the Chair Back Rest

Cut five chair back slats, then make pocket holes on the back faces (two on each end). Attach the slats with 1-¼” pocket hole screws, flush to the front edge of the chair back side pieces. Use a shop-made spacer from scraps to maintain consistent spacing between slats. (It is extremely helpful to have a Kreg right angle pocket hole clamp for this!)

Screwing Chair Back Slats
Building Patio Chair

I was able to fit the back slat pieces into place by applying slight outward pressure to the chair back side pieces. If you have trouble fitting any of the pieces, try removing 1/16” from one of the slat’s ends using your miter saw.

Cut and Attach Chair Back Top

Cut the chair back top piece to size, then attach to the chair back sides. Use 1-½” exterior screws through four, pre-drilled, countersunk holes.

Angled Edges of Chair Back Top
Beveled Edges of Chair Back Top
Countersunk Screw
Chair Seat and Back

Front Legs

Each front leg will be constructed from two identical 1x4s. I added a taper to each of the leg pieces. (Save the tapered cut scrap piece to help with clamping in the next step.). Make four of these.

Tapered Legs for Modern Adirondack Chair

Assemble Front Chair Legs

Construct a front leg from two pieces. Place the non-tapered side against the non-tapered side of another leg piece. Add wood glue to one of the pieces, then clamp until dry. Place the tapered scrap piece back in place to keep consistent pressure when clamping.

Clamping Chair Legs
Chair Leg Pieces Joined

Attach Front Legs to Chair Seat

Place the chair with its back on your workbench. Align the leg with the chair seat, so that the bottom of the seat comes to the line you marked on the inside of each leg (for these exact measurements, download the pdf printable plans). The chair seat front piece should be flush to the front of each leg. Clamp the leg into place.

Attach Both Chair Legs
Attach Chair Legs

  Attach the front legs with 2-½” screws from inside the chair. Predrill the holes, and use at least two screws per leg.

Screw Legs to Chair

Back Legs

 The back legs are made up of a tapered visible leg and a hidden leg support. They are joined together with pocket holes and screws on the hidden leg support.

Angled Legs for Modern Adirondack Chair

Clamp the back legs into place, and attach to the chair seat sides with 2.5” lag screws:

Attach Legs with Lag Screws

I first attached the legs with a single screw at the correct height. With the legs roughly in place, I could make small adjustments to the angle at which they were attached (if you’re doing this in your garage like I was, remember that garage floors are not level!). Once I had the leg angle perfectly adjusted, I clamped the leg to the chair, then added two lag screws to each hidden leg support.

Chair Arms

After cutting the arms to the correct length, taper the back end.

Chair Arms from Scrap

 Can you tell the arms are old bed slats? (I saved them after replacing my kids’ old bunk bed with the offset built-in bunk beds.)

Cut two arm attachment pieces. Add wood glue to fix the arm attachment piece to the back side, bottom face of the arm.

Arm Attachment Piece
Clamp Arm Attachment Piece

Clamp the arm to the chair so that it is level, then screw into place through the arm attachment piece:

Patio Chair Construction
Arm Attached to Outdoor Chair

Add two more countersunk screws through the front of the arm into the front leg, then repeat for the other arm.

Screw Arm into Front Chair Legs

Finishing

Fill cracks, knots, and countersunk screws with wood filler. Working your way from coarse to fine grit, sand the chair.

Fill Holes and Knots
Sand Adirondack Chair

To finish the chair, I applied an oil primer, then painted it with exterior paint. Last, I applied an exterior topcoat.

Primed DIY Adirondack Chair

Modern Adirondack Chair Complete

Here’s the chair all painted and sitting on our front porch. If you’re interested in building one for yourself, you can find the printable plans with all the dimensions here:


Modern Adirondack Chair Printable Plans

DIY Modern Adirondack Chair
Build a Rejuvenation Modern Adirondack Chair
Modern Adirondack Chair Finished Plans-100

Modern Adirondack Chair on Front Porch2

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