Two Pieces of Wood, One Timeless Design
As Da Vinci famously put it: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” If he’s right, then this DIY Plank Chair by Jesse Hensel from Instructables is the pinnacle of sophistication. To elaborate much on its design would detract from its beauty. It’s two pieces of wood: one with a slot, the other beveled to be inserted in slot.
Before you ask, Hensel claims that it’s quite comfortable, but also says that you can adjust the angle to suit your preferred reclining angle. We imagine you could increase the width to make a Plank love-seat (though there might be considerations about stressing the wood). You could make the back higher, add cushions or add any number of other custom flourishes. In Instructables comments section, there are a number of similar versions with custom engraving, though we prefer simple aesthetic of Hensel’s version.
Making the Plank Chair requires a high school shop-class level of power tool mastery–something most of us could stand to have even if we didn’t want to make furniture. We imagine with a little cajoling and $30, your local lumber yard would make the cuts too.
Needless to say, the chair would store quite well.
The interesting thing to us is that this chair–which could be made from scrap wood–looks more timeless and durable than many offerings from large furniture retailers.
Go to Instructables to see detailed instructions on how to construct the chair.
Got any simple projects like this? Let us know.
Photo by Jesse Hensel