A name like Rich Brilliant Willing is bound to attract some attention. Named Best New Designer at the 2011 International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), Rich Brilliant Willing came to the 2012 ICFF with a host of new lighting and furniture pieces. The firm's name is a clever moniker based on the three founders' last names — Theo Richardson, Charles Brill and Alexander Williams. It's also a perfect representation of the kind of work they do in their studio.
We stole some time with two of the designers, Richardson and Williams, to talk to them about their inspiration and newest products at the ICFF.
All three members of Rich Brilliant Willing are graduates of the Rhode Island School of Design. They founded the company in 2009, shortly after one of their first items, the Excel Floor Lamp, became a hit. Soon after, they were named one of the top 40 designers of 2009 by i-D magazine.
The Delta Pendant is one of the trio's other popular items, and they've expanded the line with new shapes and colors. The clean and crisp white is a welcome accompaniment to the black and gold original.
Rich Brilliant Willing's Radient Lamps reinvent the cold form of a turned-off light. Instead of installing a piece that becomes passive when not used, the Radient sconces and lamps become a warm, artful and geometric addition to a home's design.
Cask seating integrates the classic, rustic style of through-tenon joinery that you often see in traditional and Craftsman furniture. It's a subtle nod to classic American furniture and makes the piece extra strong. The brass footrest adds extra comfort and that perfect touch of modern that Rich Brilliant Willing does so well.
Like the rest of Rich Brilliant Willing's new products at the ICFF, the Trig Floor Lamp is designed to feel "at once minimal and human," according to the company. Although the design is simple, it feels inherently friendly and attractive. The anodized aluminum base is touch sensitive — place your hand anywhere, and the light turns on and off.
Williams: To establish a new set of values for living and working: modesty, simplicity and seamless integration, but still with personal character.
Q: What iconic designer would you love to work with?
Williams: I would love to collaborate with a scientist or engineer working outside our field — something in nanotech, artificial intelligence or alternative energy. Richardson: Mainly sculptors — Henry Moore, Taiichi Ohno, Shigeo Shingo. I'd also love to work with consultants William McDonough and Michael Braungart.
Q: Where's your go-to place for inspiration?
Williams: The city Richardson: Lakes, mountains and the beach
Q: What's a favorite piece of furniture that you own?
Williams: An old Eames DCM chair from a flea market in Michigan — someone gave it a loving coat of spar varnish. Richardson: An Excel Floor Lamp!
Q: What famous figure's home do you think your products belong in?