Build these cottage classics

Remember the low wood chair in Grandma's backyard when you were a kid? You'd sit on the edge, then slide down into it, hoping that no splinters would encounter your bare legs. The arms were flat and wide, perfect for holding your glass of lemonade. And if you were chasing your brother or sister around the chair, you had to take care not to trip over those long, back legs that stuck out behind the seat.

To some, it's the Muskoka chair. Others know it as the Adirondack or Bermuda chair. Whatever you call it, it's a classic piece of outdoor furniture. Old ones are still around because these chairs are extremely sturdy, putting up for years with all the abuse that outdoor conditions and family life inflict, but new ones are hard to find ready-made.

We have re-created this perennial favourite as an easy do-it-yourself project and designed a porch swing to match. Make them in pine, cedar or redwood. Cedar or redwood is best if you plan to leave the pieces natural or stain them. Use pine if you're going to paint. (Note: When building the chair out of pine, use pressure-treated lumber for the legs to protect them against moisture from the ground.) Outdoor furniture is becoming increasingly colourful; you'll be right in style with colours like the ones we've used here (Tip: Find the paint we used from Benjamin Moore exterior paint colours YL-18 yellow, GR-319 green, AJ-368 aqua, and PR-466 pink). The fun is in using your imagination to work out fresh-looking colour combinations.

The chair and the swing are both made of board lumber. You simply cut boards to the length required, sand the rough edges and start screwing them together following our simple steps. You should build the frame (that's everything but the back and seat slats) first, and paint or stain this part. It's easier to get at the tops of the frame boards before you secure the seat and back slats. Then when you've given the frame its two or three coats of paint or stain, cover the slats with their first coat, screw them onto the frame and then finish with the last coat.

Tools: