Wave Hill Chair

Wave Hill Chair

$595.00 USD
$595.00 USD
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The Wave Hill Chair has been a fixture at Wave Hill’s public gardens in the Bronx for more than half a century. Its form traces a layered design history, drawing on a 1918 chair by the Dutch architect and designer Gerrit Rietveld (now part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art) and a 1960s adaptation by landscaper designer Lester Collins for use at the Millbrook estate, Innisfree. Over decades of use at Wave Hill, the chair has become synonymous with the site itself: an understated, enduring design that echoes a strong past, while remaining practical and welcoming. On any given day, you’ll find visitors settled into these chairs to read, rest, or simply watch the Hudson River as the breeze moves through the gardens.

Our version reworks that form in rustic American white oak and pure tung oil, letting the grain and natural variation of the wood remain visible. Single-stave boards throughout, rather than glued-up panels, give each part a clearer, more honest read. The result is a chair that feels natural, more material-forward, and well suited to the long tradition of American outdoor furniture.

Made in Bosque County, Texas, the chair is designed to ship flat and built for porches, gardens, terraces, and open air. White oak was chosen for its strength and outdoor durability, and the oil finish was chosen because it works with the wood rather than covering it over. 

Made to weather beautifully. The chair will turn a muted gray with sun exposure. Photographed at Wave Hill in the Bronx, NY.

Four percent of revenue from each chair is donated to Wave Hill.

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Made by Loblolli in Bosque County, Texas

Chairs are built by Kenon Perry and his team in their Central Texas workshop, where traditional joinery is paired with modern tooling to ensure accuracy, strength, and long-term durability.

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Made for Gardens and Open Air

“I’ve sat in these chairs at Wave Hill and looked out at the Hudson for hours. They have a formal presence, but they’re deeply comfortable, and we wanted our version to keep that feeling while making it simple to put together.” — Jeffrey Lai, Creative Director

  • Single-Stave White Oak

    Every major part is made from a single stave rather than a glued-up panel, giving the chair a cleaner read of the wood and a more uninterrupted surface.

  • A HISTORIC OUTDOOR FORM

    This chair carries forward a form associated with Wave Hill for more than a half century, with roots in Gerrit Rietveld’s 1918 design. Upright, spare, and direct, it feels as clear in silhouette as it does in use.

dimensions

Wave Hill Chair
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materials

Solid American White Oak, sourced primarily from Pennsylvania and Michigan. Stainless steel fasteners.

assembly

The chair arrives flat-packed. Stainless threaded inserts are used alongside standardized 1/4-20 1-3/8” stainless hex drive screws.

care

For graceful graying, wash off any visible mildew with soap and water then apply tung oil. If you'd prefer to reduce graying of the wood, you can source a pigmented finish, for example Pine Tar or pigmented tung oil.

In Partnership with Wave Hill in the Bronx

Founded as a public garden in 1965, Wave Hill is a 28-acre garden and cultural center in the Bronx overlooking the Hudson River and the Palisades. Its mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its historic gardens and landscapes, preserve its remarkable views, and explore human connections to the natural world through horticulture, education, and the arts. Four percent of revenue from each chair is donated to Wave Hill. 

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Historic Form, Modern Engineering

Faithful to the original lines, the chair has been carefully engineered for seamless shipping and straightforward assembly. It ships flat, with bolts that fasten from the underside to keep hardware off the sitting surfaces, while dowels align the parts as the chair comes together. The result is a cleaner assembly and a durable final product.

Wave Hill Chair

  • Rustic American White Oak

    White Oak is uniquely suited to outdoor furniture, because it is naturally closed pore, and thus, exceptionally rot resistant.

  • Zero VOC Waterproofing and Finish

    We use Vermont Natural Coating's Juniper infused waterproofer, that leaves no topcoat. We then hand-rub it with pure tung oil.

  • Free Shipping & Return

    Ships free via UPS ground directly from Kenon's workshop.

Things to Know

The Wave Hill Chair is an outdoor piece of solid wood furniture and thus it’s important to have clarity around a few things:

Gently Grays with Age

All wood experiences a natural change in color as surface tannins oxidize and UV light slowly breaks down the wood’s lignin. The chair you have at the end of the first summer is going to be grayer than the one you have when you open the box.

Knots Abound

The oak we’ve sourced has lots of knots, imperfections, and character. Every chair will be different. If you feel dissatisfied with a particular part, or board, let us know and we'll assess options.

Lifetime Repair Warranty Does Not Apply

America’s beautiful, yet brutal seasons will ensure your chair has an eventful life. While careful care can extend the life of your chair, it’s important to recognize that outdoor furniture has a naturally shorter lifespan.

How White Oak Weathers

On the left, new white oak finished with oil. On the right, white oak after a year in the elements. Sun, rain, and weather naturally shift the wood from warm gold to a soft silver-gray. White oak is rich in tannins, compounds that contribute to its durability and react with moisture, minerals, and the environment as it weathers. These reactions can produce gray, brown, or darker areas across the surface. This is expected and does not compromise the wood’s strength. The weathered surface can be left to develop its natural patina or refreshed with light sanding and a new application of tung or linseed oil, restoring much of the oak’s original warmth.

3% of Profits to Bring back the American Chestnut

At Roseland, we’re passionate tree buffs and are committed to helping bring back the iconic American chestnut to its native range. We will donate 3% of all unit-level profits at the end of 2026 to the American Chestnut Foundation and other similar efforts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the chair ship?

We ship the chair via UPS ground. The chair is partially assembled and requires about 20 mins to assemble.

How much does it weigh?

Roughly 40lbs.

How long does assembly take?

Instructions for the chair can be found here. Each chair takes about 15 minutes to assemble.

How fast will graying take?

It depends on the UV exposure, but you would expect to see meaningful graying by the end of the first summer outside.

Can I leave the chair out over winter?

Yes - the chair is rot resistant and will generally do okay in the snow. However, like any wooden object, constant sun, temperature change and waterlogging will slowly add to wear and tear on joints.

Why White Oak vs Cedar? Why not Teak?

White Oak does make the chair more expensive but it is also stronger and less prone to loosening at the fasteners than cedar. Teak is another excellent wood but it is not native to the USA and has a less interesting grain.

Can I request customizations?

We wish we could satisfy custom requests but our business model is predicated on delivering value for money through standardization and the efficiency it allows.

Why is it cheaper to buy two chairs than one?

We ship the chair via UPS ground and are able to combine two chairs into a single package size. We pass on the savings to you.