the mini adirondack.

Published on by Quandie

As I’ve mentioned in the past, our next door neighbor Ken is also our ‘handyman’.

He has done so many projects for us over the years!

He custom built our pantry.

He helped me create the faux shiplap wall in our principle bedroom.

He also created the faux board and batten look in our piano room.

We also discovered, long after we moved in, that Ken had built the shelving in our living room for the previous owners of our house.

In addition to these larger projects, Ken has also helped out with innumerable smaller projects around our house.  He once saved us $6,000 by building custom screen inserts for the windows in our dining room (we thought we’d need to replace the windows and the quote for that was $6,000!).  This would become a really long post if I tried to list everything he’s done around here.

And of course, on top of all of that, Ken also does the bulk of my furniture repairs.  I think his favorite fix, or at least the one he still talks about, is the humpty dumpty dresser.  After accidentally knocking it off some sawhorses and having it completely fall apart, he put it back together again.

I’ve also mentioned here that Ken builds Adirondack chairs.

We have two of them on the front porch, and two of them on the deck out back.

The thing that makes these chairs special (besides the fact that Ken built them) is that they are super comfy.  They are all based on an Adirondack chair that nnK once had.  Ken took her chair apart and created a template for making more.  Since then he has made countless chairs.

A while back he decided to see if he could make a miniature version.  He scaled his template down and came up with a perfect mini replica of the chair.

He put it together with painstaking detail.

He used toothpicks as miniature dowel rods to attach the slats.

He made one of these mini’s for nnK first.  Then he made another for himself.  And then finally, he made one for me!

Of course, I gave mine a paint job.  I started by painting it with Dixie Belle’s Midnight Sky, which I then covered up with their Drop Cloth.  I wanted the dark base coat so that I could distress back to it along the edges, rather than just seeing that pale wood underneath.

Once the paint was dry, I added a simple, small Tim Holtz number transfer to the front of the seat.

After sanding lightly to distress, I finished it all off with a coat of clear wax.

I staged these photos using a few of my favorite things including the small boxes I painted up last fall.

They are sitting on a tiny new testament bible that belonged to my grandfather.

There is an inscription inside that says it was gifted to him as he went off to fight in WWI.  And yes, that’s WWI, and it was 1917.  I believe he would have been around 24 years old at the time.  If you’re trying to figure out the math and how I could have a grandfather that was born in 1893, I have to point out that he was 47 years old when my mother was born.

I grabbed a few other items to add to my photo …

Most of these things come from those shelves in my living room, which is the eventual home of the mini adirondack as well.  Unfortunately, it was far too gloomy here last week to get a good photo of the chair in its ultimate resting spot.  So you’ll just have to trust me when I say that it fits right in with some of my other mini’s on those shelves like this one …

and this one …

I don’t know why I find miniatures so darn appealing.  How about you?  Are you drawn to miniature versions of furniture?  Leave a comment and let me know.

29 thoughts on “the mini adirondack.”

  1. Ken is a gem! We all could use a Ken.

    I love minis too. I have a few, but haven’t painted any. One has those cutesy animal decals they used on furniture in the 50s or 60s and I’m not sure if I’ll regret getting rid of them. The others are in my to do pile. I love what you have done with yours.

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    1. I have a vintage mini in my pile that I’m wondering if I’d regret painting too. It’s a baby blue color now, which isn’t really my cup of tea though. So hard to decide …

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  4. Ken is quite talented!
    I do have a collection of miniature dressers
    that I love. The chair looks great and your staging is spot on as usual!

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  5. How fortunate you are to have Ken as a neighbor! We all need a Ken 😉!
    I absolutely love all your miniatures! I just hope I don’t short circuit ( from my drooling)!
    The mini Adirondack is fabulous! As always, with the “Q” touch it’s perfect!
    Smiles, alice

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  6. I know you love and appreciate Ken so much and he has gardening skills along with his amazing carpentry skills. The mini Adirondack chair is so charming. But I have to say I’m really green eyed over the tiny wood tote and dresser! I love minis. I do most of my sourcing at the Goodwill bins outlet and I did through the small stuff at the bottom of the bins to find some amazing miniature things.

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  8. Ken is a treasure. Everybody needs a Ken and you are a lucky gal.
    Miniatures are not my thing, but I can enjoy looking at yours. Super cute!

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  9. I love Adirondack chairs and the miniature one is amazing ♡ Your neighbor Ken is a treasure!!
    Thanks for sharing and I love your home and decor ♡

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    1. Ken is a real gem, as they used to say years ago. Such a good neigh or and friend for 30 years – or more! I don’t know when you moved into your house, other than sometime before Aug. Of 1989 when I met you. He is a true craftsman.

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  11. Miniatures are fascinating! I think because for children,there is something smaller than themselves. Attention to detail,and the fact that they open and close the same as their counter parts. Every one needs a Ken as a neighbor!!!! Such a talented man,what patience he has. Take care.

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  12. I already knew he did wonderful work for you, but I’m even more impressed now. My dad made Adirondack chairs in the 1950s that lasted forever. And you are right — so comfortable.

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