In summer, many a fashionable Victorian of the 1870s headed for the woods. Upstate New York's Adirondack Mountains, a fashionable resort location, gave their name to the popular rustic style, as well as to the famous Adirondack chair.
Adirondack style is particularly easy to achieve today, as modern reproductions can readily be found. It fits beautifully with today's more casual living, and the simple lines of the furniture blend happily with Mission pieces and contemporary patio furniture. Although the Adirondacks were a summer resort, Adirondack style is a warm, cozy look appropriate for winter too.
Walls and Floors
Wood floors are ideal. If you're stuck with old softwood floors that would have been covered with carpet during the Victorian era, but you aren't ready to replace them or carpet them, go Adirondack! Seal the softwood or paint it a dark, woodsy neutral. You can even stencil an "Indian blanket" pattern on a painted floor.
If you prefer tile, a quarry tile or brick pattern is appropriate. For a lower-budget solution that also works on shakier floors, duplicate this look in sheet or tile vinyl.
Look for rugs with strong geometric patterns in reds, blues, and earth tones. "Indian blanket" patterns are casual; for a more formal look, choose a battered Oriental carpet with a strongly geometric pattern.
While it's unlikely that you have log or rough stone walls, you may have exposed brick or 1970s paneling, both of which are usually a problem with Victorian interiors. You can leave those troublesome walls as-is with your Adirondack look (or, if you hate your paneling, paint it off-white). Plain off-white walls or wallpaper in a small-scale muted pattern also works. If a white room seems bare, stencil a motif from your rug around the top of the wall.
Furniture
Although it's called "Adirondack," much of the popular rustic furniture of the late Victorian era was made in the Midwest. Indiana hickory furniture usually had branch-like support elements and woven seats and backs. This table and chair from the catalog of Old Hickory Furniture of Connecticut show the look.
Another common "look" involved using panels of applied bark as drawer and cabinet fronts. The tall china cabinet in this photo from Ralph Kyloe Rustic Design is an example.
A third popular style is applied twigs, the ornate rustic look seen in this table and sideboard, as well as in this hutch.
"Comfort" is the key word in furnishing your Adirondack dining room. Use armchairs generously. If you have space, consider adding an Adirondack sofa or a big cushy chair with an ottoman. Contemporary couches and lounging chairs sold as "Mission" or "southwestern" are often compatible with Adirondack furniture; even "country" pieces with a relaxed look and a hearty plaid cover may work.
Adirondack style is particularly easy to achieve today, as modern reproductions can readily be found. It fits beautifully with today's more casual living, and the simple lines of the furniture blend happily with Mission pieces and contemporary patio furniture. Although the Adirondacks were a summer resort, Adirondack style is a warm, cozy look appropriate for winter too.
Walls and Floors
Wood floors are ideal. If you're stuck with old softwood floors that would have been covered with carpet during the Victorian era, but you aren't ready to replace them or carpet them, go Adirondack! Seal the softwood or paint it a dark, woodsy neutral. You can even stencil an "Indian blanket" pattern on a painted floor.
If you prefer tile, a quarry tile or brick pattern is appropriate. For a lower-budget solution that also works on shakier floors, duplicate this look in sheet or tile vinyl.
Look for rugs with strong geometric patterns in reds, blues, and earth tones. "Indian blanket" patterns are casual; for a more formal look, choose a battered Oriental carpet with a strongly geometric pattern.
While it's unlikely that you have log or rough stone walls, you may have exposed brick or 1970s paneling, both of which are usually a problem with Victorian interiors. You can leave those troublesome walls as-is with your Adirondack look (or, if you hate your paneling, paint it off-white). Plain off-white walls or wallpaper in a small-scale muted pattern also works. If a white room seems bare, stencil a motif from your rug around the top of the wall.
Furniture
Although it's called "Adirondack," much of the popular rustic furniture of the late Victorian era was made in the Midwest. Indiana hickory furniture usually had branch-like support elements and woven seats and backs. This table and chair from the catalog of Old Hickory Furniture of Connecticut show the look.
Another common "look" involved using panels of applied bark as drawer and cabinet fronts. The tall china cabinet in this photo from Ralph Kyloe Rustic Design is an example.
A third popular style is applied twigs, the ornate rustic look seen in this table and sideboard, as well as in this hutch.
"Comfort" is the key word in furnishing your Adirondack dining room. Use armchairs generously. If you have space, consider adding an Adirondack sofa or a big cushy chair with an ottoman. Contemporary couches and lounging chairs sold as "Mission" or "southwestern" are often compatible with Adirondack furniture; even "country" pieces with a relaxed look and a hearty plaid cover may work.
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