When Richard Frinier was creating his new trilogy of outdoor furniture designs for Brown Jordan, the tireless Long Beach, Calif.–based designer wondered what life would be like if he could simply sit still and let his mind drift aimlessly. “Would it feel like being on cloud nine?” he thought before appropriately naming his three collections Still, Drift, and yes, Cloud Nine. The three diverse lines share one commonality—all are designed with outdoor comfort and relaxation in mind. Each achieves that goal in its own singular way.
Made of cast and extruded aluminum frames in modern forms, the Still designs ($1,220 to $18,630) were crafted with tapered arms and legs and soft radius corners. Cloud Nine’s sinuous forms ($1,300 to $3,300) are made from extruded and powder-coated aluminum and parabolic mesh and designed to create “a study of curvaceous and continuous organic lines.” The Drift line of sectional lounge chairs, matching ottomans, and cocktail tables ($1,770 to $$6,925) is produced from plantation-grown and weathered teak. Frinier says the wood is a combination of “hand- and machine-craftsmanship with a fine, hand-sanded finish that draws inspiration from the very best of vintage Danish design.”
Frinier’s three new designs for Brown Jordan represent something of a homecoming for the prolific designer, who launched his design career with the California-based furniture maker back in 1981. He left Brown Jordan in 2002 to form his own design business and since then his furniture, fabric, and lighting creations have been manufactured by dozens of famous makers, including Dedon, Century, and Sunbrella, among others. Yet, while at Brown Jordan, Frinier helped develop the company’s proprietary sling construction over aluminum framing that continues to be a hallmark of his designs, including both Still and Cloud Nine. (800.743.4252, www.brownjordan.com/frinier)
