NORCO, CA, February 15 - Lisa Chestnut is a landscape architecture professional and artist who has collaborated with QCP on products, including the UFO fire feature and Slab bench. Chestnut’s latest contribution to QCP’s portfolio offers a playful energy through color. The Wilson is a versatile new concrete bench that’s available in two sizes. Our four standard precast concrete colors make up the exterior, and the void in the center is accented by one of 12 different colors available. 

“I’m always pushing for new ideas, and I saw the Chelsea table come out, and I thought it could be really fun if the interior had some color in it,” Chestnut says.

After sending the proposal to Matt Gilio-Tenan, QCP’s director of design and marketing, the product development phase began. 

“When Lisa sent me the Wilson I immediately saw the potential in the product,” Gilio-Tenan says. “I was drawn to the simplicity of the forms with the contrasting pop of color and I could see it being used in a wide variety of projects. The Wilson is playful in an elegant way, and we are looking forward to developing more products to add to the Wilson collection.”

Chestnut has been collaborating with QCP for decades, and she’s known for developing timeless, minimalist designs that are unlike most of the company’s standard products lineup. For the Wilson, there are a few locations that will welcome this practical product with a pop of color. 

“I think it could be fun in schools with the color effect in there,” Chestnut says. “Definitely parks—even industrial parks—and public spaces.” 

Chestnut, who works remotely for Burton Studio from her home in Marfa, Texas, first met QCP CEO Rick Crook through the office nearly 30 years ago. 

“I knew they had designers, and that’s always been something I’d wanted to do, so I just asked Rick if I could do that, and he said, “Well, send us some ideas,’” she says. “So I did and he ended up liking some of them, so he let me be on board. It’s like a dream come true.”

For Chestnut, it’s all about combining her artistic ideas with form and function, and she relies on the experts at QCP to let her know what’s feasible. 

“I think QCP likes a little more organic and I tend to go to more straight edge, squares and non-organic,” Chestnut says. “It's been fun just going back and forth.” 

To learn more about Chestnut’s design, visit the Wilson product page here.