What does a recycled milk jug chair look like? If it's made by Loll Designs, it's "sleek, simple and without flair," says Greg Benson, founder and CEO of the Duluth outdoor furniture company. And it comes in bright crayon colors like Leaf Green and Sunset Orange.
Try out Loll's chairs and tables yourself at the happening summer patios of Surly Brewing in Minneapolis and Canal Park Brewery in Duluth.
Benson came up with the winning concept by chance when his company True Ride, a builder of city skateboard parks, had excess high-density plastic sheets that he didn't want to throw out.
While driving around Duluth, Benson was struck by the ubiquitous Adirondack chairs in yards. "I said, 'Let's try to make an Adirondack chair,'" Benson recalls. "It was that simple."
He launched Loll Designs website in 2006, and now the recycled plastic modern furniture's crisp and cool silhouettes are sold online and locally at retailers such as Room and Board and Design Within Reach.
The best seller is the Lollygagger, above, a mod version of the classic Adirondack chair, a real looker in apple red at the end of a dock.
A Ralph Rapson rocker, birdhouses and even pet bowls are among the company's 225 products. The durable all-weather pieces hold their color, requiring only a good wiping to clean them up.
What's next? "People like the feel of soft, thick cushions," says Benson, so Loll is expanding its line of cushioned pieces, as well as high-demand porch swings. lolldesigns.com
— Lynn Underwood
