Seaside Casual MAD Chat Chair: Relax, Enjoy and Save the Planet
Seat Yourself with Seaside Casual’s Modern Adirondack MAD Chat Chair: Relax, Enjoy and Save the Planet Picture this: a classic outdoor chair that not only stands the test of time but also allows you to customize it in endless ways. Imagine a piece of furniture that is both stylish and durable, with ergonomic lines and details for complete comfort. The Seaside Casual MAD Chat Chair from the company’s Modern Adirondack (MAD) collection is all this and more. It reinterprets the iconic Adirondack silhouette to cater to modern-day lounging needs. The chair’s relaxed angles, range of customization options, and sustainable manufacturing make it an all-around winner. In 2016, it received an ICFA Design Excellence Award. So, it’s safe to say that the MAD Chat Chair is more than just a place to sit; it’s the perfect way to relax outside with loved ones. Whether you’re kicking back on your patio or sitting around your pool, it will help you enjoy the great outdoors. The History of Seaside Casual Furniture: Made with Care Since 1911 Before we jump into the MAD Chat Chair’s features and functions, let’s take a brief detour and examine the company’s history and story. After all, as cliché as it may sound, it’s impossible to separate a piece of furniture from the brand that created it. Seaside Casual Furniture’s roots date back to 1911 when its founder, Arnold Lumber Company, opened a mill in Rhode Island. It wasn’t until the end of the 20th century that the company found its true passion—creating eco-friendly outdoor furniture. The rugged and picturesque seaside communities scattered around New England served as a major inspiration for Seaside Casual’s furniture designs and style. At the same time, the rise of environmental activism and the promotion of recycling in the late 1990s prompted the company to dedicate itself to eco-friendly products. It introduced its bestselling EnviroWood line, which continues to inspire consumers with its quality and design. The company’s head office and factory, where all its products are designed and made, are still in Coventry, Rhode Island, where they have been for the past few decades. In addition, the brand is still family-owned, meaning that its values and dedication to the work ethic run deep. Seaside Casual Furniture has also stayed loyal to its original purpose of making low-maintenance, long-lasting outdoor furniture to enhance life outside. It’s the key to the company’s enduring success and popularity with outdoor furniture consumers. For the past 20 years, the brand has used recycled HDPE, a polymer that is sourced from plastic waste, to make its furniture pieces. That means that all of Seaside Casual’s outdoor furniture is made from repurposed materials such as milk jugs, shampoo bottles, and detergent containers. Seaside Casual’s long history, customer-centricity, and commitment to environmental sustainability are a huge part of what the brand stands for. It is no secret that a lot of plastic waste ends up in our landfills, oceans, and rivers, so it is heartening to see that Seaside Casual has done its part in diverting thousands of tons of waste from landfills in the past few decades alone. The process involved reclaiming recycled materials such as corrugated cardboard, wood debris, and plastic waste. The brand’s furniture pieces are backed by an impressive 20-year warranty to guarantee their durability and longevity. Seaside Casual’s eco-friendly production process is in line with the needs of modern consumers who are increasingly expecting companies to be ethical and responsible for their actions. To meet these expectations, the brand continues to innovate and adapt to a rapidly changing world. The company’s use of recycled HDPE for making its outdoor furniture pieces is proof of this. Not only does it help the brand divert waste from landfills, but it also means that each piece is rot-proof, fade-resistant, and impervious to insects, salt, and extreme weather conditions. Seaside Casual is one of the largest manufacturers of recycled HDPE furniture in the world, and its process of making these furniture pieces has remained largely unchanged over the years. The brand’s emphasis on sustainability and environmental responsibility is also part of what sets it apart from other manufacturers in the outdoor furniture industry. Design and Function: Paying Homage to Classics with a Twist A good place to start when reviewing the features of the Seaside Casual MAD Chat Chair is its ergonomic and comfortable design. As previously mentioned, it reinterprets the famous Adirondack silhouette and fits right in among similar offerings from other manufacturers. The chair measures 29.5 inches in width, 31 inches in depth, and 31.25 inches in height, which is standard for an outdoor chair. The seat height is 15 inches and the arm height is 22.5 inches, both of which make it comfortable to sit in as well as stand from. The chair’s weight depends on its configuration, but it ranges from 59 pounds (standard) to 39 pounds (woven version). The latter is lighter due to the fact that woven panels use a fiberglass frame instead of the heavier polymer material. Whichever model you choose, it will be sturdy and movable but heavy enough not to be easily blown over by a strong gust of wind. As the chair’s name suggests, the chair is intended to be used for casual conversation in a lounge setting, with friends or family. As such, its backrest is angled to help the user recline comfortably and its armrests are wide enough to support one’s arms and shoulders. The chair’s silhouette is reminiscent of traditional Adirondack chairs, which makes it instantly recognizable and familiar. Hidden fasteners add to the furniture’s sleek and modern look, and its hardware is made from 316 marine-grade stainless steel to withstand corrosion from salty air and moisture. The hardware is minimal and mostly tucked away, adding to the chair’s seamless and polished look. Speaking of customization, it is worth noting that the MAD Chat Chair can be customized in infinite color combinations using the brand’s “Fusion” design system. Color options for the frame include White, Natural, Grey, Black, Charcoal, and Chestnut, with additional choices in the heathered collection (Teak, Smoke, Stone, Dune, and Walnut). Frame colors can be mixed and matched with slat colors such as White, Grey, Black, Charcoal, and Chestnut as well as heathered options in Teak, Smoke, Stone, Dune, Walnut, Navy, Sage, Slate, Cherry, Pool, Leaf, and Teal. Woven chairs can be further customized by choosing between wicker panels (White Wash, Cocoa Bean, Slate Gray) or rope panels (Canvas Diamond or Carbon Diamond). Materials and Sustainability: Built to Last and Going the Extra Mile for Mother Nature The most prominent feature of the MAD Chat Chair, as well as many other pieces in Seaside Casual’s collection, is its use of recycled, sustainable materials to minimize environmental impact. The most important of these is the EnviroWood, the composite material that makes up most of the furniture piece. It is made from a proprietary blend of recycled HDPE, which is a thermoplastic polymer made from plastic waste. The polymer material is combined with additives and other ingredients to give the furniture a color and texture that mimic the natural beauty of wood but are stronger and more durable. In contrast to solid wood, EnviroWood is rot-proof, splinter-proof, fade-proof, dent-proof, scratch-proof, water-resistant, and requires zero maintenance. All it takes to keep your Seaside Casual furniture piece in pristine condition is a simple hose-down.