Harriet Chair

Here's the thing about simplicity. Perhaps you are driven to live a simpler life for the same primary reason I am - because life is about things that laugh and talk back, not about things that collect dust and having to dust those things. And I find the simpler my life becomes, the more simple I want it to be. I'm finding myself drawn not just to having a simple amount of things, but also for those things that I do have to be simple.

But one of the things we perhaps don't consider about simplicity is it's impact on the environment. This chair so inspired me, but even more, the text summarizing why using less tools, less boards and simpler techniques - mass produced over thousands of chairs - can have a significant impact on our environment. Think about it - if this post inspires ten thousand chairs to be made, and only required a limited amount of simple cuts, how much energy have we not wasted, as opposed to hand carving a chair back leg with a jigsaw, followed by an hour of belt sanding? And if ten thousand of these chairs are made (hypothetically over years) and there is no waste from chair back legs being cutout in a traditional pattern, how much scrap wood doesn't get thrown in a landfill?

I personally have a great love and appreciation for nature.  And it is my hope that my children and grandchildren can appreciate the resiliency of a moose, be grateful for a good blueberry year, and still be able to buy lumber directly from a mill.  This is not just about today, and living my best life right now.  This is about tomorrow.

While building this chair might cost you ten bucks, consider how much you are saving by building for yourself.  And I'm not just talking about money.

And I'll admit, it's a little about loving a pink chair with a modern edge. But regardless of the color

I've got a thing for navy blue and red too.

You've made a green(er) chair.

And also a better chair than mine.  I changed the side supports to 2x2s so you won't have to buy a different type of board - and also because it's stronger and more consistent with the rest of the chair.  The back rest hits at that perfect spot on your back, just below your shoulder blades, to give you just the right amount of support.  The chair is very very sturdy and lightweight, with a lower profile for smaller spaces.