Lawn chairs’ long history of putting bums in seats

A look behind the scenes at things we use at home, and where they came from

It was the book Jimmy Fallon didn’t want you to read: “A History of the Metal Lawn Chair: What We Know Now,” written in 2014.

“Who knows what kind of metal lawn chair advancements have taken place in the last three years?” the talk show host quipped, listing his do-not-read picks in 2017.

Well, author Skip Torrans wasn’t about to turn the other cheek, and forged a rebuttal video showing everyone from students to firefighters firmly planted in metal lawn chairs in his hometown of Jefferson, Texas.

“It really doesn’t matter who you are or what you do around here, the metal lawn chair is a big part of your life,” exalts Torrans, who manufactures the colourful retro seats, a.k.a. motel, shell and tulip chair.

The tubular-framed, bouncy bumholder — which first appeared on lawns

and patios in the 1930s — is only one design in a long line of comfy seating that enhances outdoor living space, be it deck, terrace or balcony.

The ancient Greeks enjoyed the fresh air atop stone benches that, centuries later, Middle Agers cushioned with turf.

In the late Victorian era, however, it was common for openair partygoers to settle into sofas and armchairs dragged outside with pieces of carpeting to cover the damp grass.

Edwardians were seen sitting pretty in showy wicker and white-painted iron chairs at their garden parties. (Think “Downton Abbey” and lavish affairs on lush lawns.)

The ubiquitous webbed, aluminum folding chair, whose original design in 1947 is credited to Second World War fighter pilot Fredric Arnold, still provides a front-row seat to kids’ ball games and picnics.

It rose to short-lived fame in the 2003 Australian rom-com “Danny Deckchair” in which a man floats off in a balloonbuoyed contraption, inspired by real-life “Lawnchair Larry” Walters, a Californian who made a 45-minute flight in a helium-powered patio chair.

Six years ago copycat Daniel Boria of Calgary pulled off a similar stunt but was fined $5,000 for dangerous operation of an aircraft.

“It was incredible … the most surreal experience you can ever imagine. I was just by myself on a $20 lawn chair up in the sky above the clouds,” he told CBC News.

More down-to-Earth, the moulded plastic chair attributed to Canadian designer D.C. Simpson has endured as the bottom line in backyard comfort for 75 years. The “monobloc” one-piece construction makes the cheap, stackable seat virtually indestructible.

But no cottage dock is complete without the ultimate symbol of summer, the Muskoka chair, called the Adirondack by Americans who claim the widearmed, sloping seat as their own creation in 1903.

Innisfil, Ont., is now home to the biggest Muskoka chair in the world, according to MuskokaRegion.com. Built from 72 pieces of white pine, the 25footer was moved to the town from Gravenhurst, and is clearly visible from Highway 400.

Many of today’s well-dressed patios sport black aluminum chairs whose powder-coated, baked-on finish doesn’t rust, according to Jill Schwartzentruber, owner and business manager of Casualife Outdoor Living.

Teak, a superior wood for outdoor furniture, is also popular, as well as wicker weaves in synthetic resin that doesn’t crack or fade, she says.

Schwartzentruber points out that Sunbrella’s newest outdoor cushion fabrics repel water if they get caught in the rain.

She predicts furniture prices will go up at least 10 per cent next year so end of season is a great time to shop.

For Toronto landscape designer Carina Cassidy, beautiful furnishings are as important as the overall design of a garden. The founder of Carina Cassidy Landscape Design notes comfort and durability are key considerations, along with the size of the space and its purpose.

Not measuring is a common mistake, says Cassidy, suggesting smaller spaces can benefit from flex-use pieces for both dining and lounging or armless chairs that tuck under a dining table.

She’s all for reviving rather than replacing older pieces by spray-painting them or adding “fabulous new cushions.” (Faded cushions can be refreshed with Rust-Oleum’s fabric spray paint.)

Her first patio set of Chippendale, lattice-back iron chairs and round glass table bought 35 years ago now grace her parents’ condo.

“They still look absolutely amazing and are still very current,” Cassidy says, adding good quality furniture that’s stored or covered properly “lasts forever.”