Build Your Own Retro Patio Furniture

Enlarge Image Image Gallery The assembled wooden lawn chair. The back is adjustable for sitting or reclining. Will Shelton

Retro patio furniture never goes out of style. "Retro," in this case, is a term applied to contemporary items that incorporate design elements from the 1930s through the '60s, before design took a turn toward cinder stone architecture and avocado appliances. Like malt shops and sock hops, retro is pure Americana. The wooden lawn chair and retro chaise lounge featured in this article are heavily influenced by 1960's design concepts. They are fun, functional, and easy to build. So, what are you waiting for? Who knows? Maybe Elvis will come for a visit. Get out your saber saw and crank up the rock 'n' roll, but don't get any sawdust on your blue suede shoes.

The materials list is in the Image Gallery. Although redwood is specified, cedar is also a good option.

You can also download PDFs of the plans: Wooden Lawn Chair Plans, Wooden Lawn Chair and Chaise Lounge Plans 1 (Illustrations A and B) and Chaise Lounge Plans 2 (Illustration C).

Retro Wooden Lawn Chair

The Frame

• Create a 1-inch-by-1-inch grid pattern on one of the 8-foot redwood 2-by-12s. Recreate the curves full scale on the board using Illustration A as a guide.
• Cut out the shape using a saber saw.
• Use the cut-out shape as a template and trace the shape on the remaining 8-foot 2-by-12 and cut it out.
• Clamp the two frame pieces together and refine the curves with a wood rasp to make both sides identical. (Note: A good wood rasp is well worth the price. Choose one that has a rough and fine tooth flat on one side and a rough and fine convex tooth on the other.)
• With the two sides still clamped together, drill all the holes, making sure that they're perpendicular to the surface.
• Sand the redwood to a desired smoothness.