Ready to hit the back yard and “set” for a spell? Balmy weather and a blooming yard sweeten the prospects, but not nearly as much as a beguiling bench or chair.
Of course, comfort comes first, but it’s not the only quality that counts. Looks, price and utility are just as important. And something comfortable and multipurpose doesn’t have to be boring or outrageously expensive.
MetaMorf, a Seattle-based company, makes a range of sleek benches and chairs of colorful recycled plastic panels. When it started using the material four years ago, its only goal was “to build a comfortable chair that was cost-effective and attractive,” says Colin Reedy, the industrial designer behind MetaMorf. By selling directly to the public, the firm keeps costs and production “at a manageable level,” says Reedy.
Not ready for anything quite so edgy? Traditionalists can opt for a sturdy Adirondack-type set with a few subtle twists: It’s made of recycled plastic lumber that won’t warp, fade or mildew, yet looks just like the real thing. And the chairs sport complementary off- center fan-backs that angle toward each other when they’re placed side by side. They’re the innovation of another industrial designer, Clint Borucki, and sold through his Carol Stream company, Acme Design.
Or have a tete-a-tete with a piece customized just for the occasion. Thanks to a clever setup conceived by French furniture designer Thomas Sauvage, Triconfort’s conversation bench can be used in four possible configurations by rearranging its split-panel back.
“We wanted to prove that furniture can be witty and utilitarian at the same time,” says company President Brad Elliott.
Ries Niemi, an industrial artist from Bow, Wash., seconds this notion with the imaginative pieces he makes for gardens. A serpentine bench for a Florida location sports the flora and fauna of the state, while a set of always-ripe vegetable chairs is universal enough to go anywhere. And stay there, Niemi hopes: “I want to make wonderful things that will endure.”
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RESOURCES: Acme Design, Carol Stream; MetaMorf, Seattle, 206-270-9220; Ries Niemi Man-made, Bow, Wash., 360-766-8004; and Triconfort, Merchandise Mart.
