A step chair, also called a ladder chair, a library chair, a convertible chair or a Franklin chair, is a piece of furniture which folds to become either a chair or a small set of steps or stairs. Building one (usually in the diagonal-side-cut style) is a popular DIY project. [1] [2] [3]
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It is sometimes claimed that these chairs were designed by Benjamin Franklin.[ citation needed ] Franklin himself preferred to sit in a step chair he designed for his own library. This chair folded in a slightly different way from the common diagonal-side-cut step chair; the seat flips up, resting against the reclined back of the chair, and forming three steps; one formerly hidden under and parallel to the seat, and two attached vertically along the seat's front edge and midline. [4]
A variant form has a third position, in which the back of the chair becomes an ironing-board. [5] This design was common in the 1700s, but was revived in the 1990s. [6] It has been described as suitable for small apartments. Its design is sometimes attributed to Thomas Jefferson, and thus called a Jefferson chair. [7] This type is also known as three-in-one chair, bachelor chair, or onit chair. [8] [9]
