The Wave Hill Chair: Minimalist, Timeless—and You Can Make It Yourself!

Julie and Margot recently attended a benefit dinner at Wave Hill, a public garden and under-the-radar treasure in the Bronx. The next day, Julie didn’t report back about the beautiful plantings or the breathtaking views of the Hudson River; rather, ever the design geek, she waxed poetic about the garden chairs she saw there. (See her Intagram post about them here.)

Turns out, the Wave Hill chairs have been bewitching visitors for decades. They were designed in the 1960s by landscape designer Lester Collins, who based the chair on a 1918 design by architect Gerrit Rietveld; Collins later allowed Wave Hill to make his version of the chair for use in their public garden.

Good news for Julie and others who can’t stop thinking about them: Wave Hill sells DIY  plans for the chair.

Above: The beauty of these chairs is that you can use cheap store-bought planks to build them and paint them in the color of your choosing. To purchase the plans, contact The Shop at Wave Hill at 718.549.3200 x249, or email chairinquiry@wavehill.org.

Above: Horticulturalist Dan Benarcik designed his own version after becoming obsessed with the chairs at Wave Hill. In addition to the chair, he also designed a coordinating stool (pictured), table, and bench, the plans for which are all available on his site. In addition, he sells the Garden Chair Kit, which comes with all the materials you need to build it yourself; $225.

Above: While we like them painted, we also enjoy the look of untreated versions that naturally age.

For more on garden chairs, see:

• High/Low: Westport Chairs (The OG Adirondack Chairs)
• 10 Easy Pieces: Folding Patio Chairs
• 10 Easy Pieces: Sage Green Outdoor Chairs for the Parisian Garden