Zach Rothholz has inspired me with his recyclable, inexpensive and glue-free cardboard furniture suite available from his budding company Chairigami. His designs featured in the video above include bar stools standing desks, a loft bed and a cardboard sofa which has sustained two years of action in his showroom, including two 300 pound bouncers once sitting on it, and is still in great condition.
Not only is this furniture cheap but it's hackable as well. If you'd like a cable hole in your desk to neatly tuck away those wires you can box-cut one in. Ditto recessed speakers, drink-holders, pencil pots etc. If you want to paint or decorate it you don't have to worry about 'ruining' an expensive piece of furniture - it's just a bit of cardboard used in an ingenious way.
Though not explicitly explored in this video I think this concept is ideal for children's furniture – They'd have a whale of a time scribbling and stickering all over it. Kids also tend to outgrow their furniture and getting rid of it can be a nuisance. Problem solved.
*On a semi-related note, many babies in Finland have a cardboard box for their first bed.
Unsurprisingly, Chairigami furniture is finding favour with students whose typically low budget and high mobility lifestyles can make owning traditional furniture a bit of a burden. Trade fairs are another area where this quality cardboard furniture is proving a success as it is attractive, portable, cheap and easily branded.
The pieces have their limits. Using them as outdoor furniture in London would be unwise, although the creator will give your piece duct tape covering if water resistance is a concern for you, but if the worst ever does happen you can shrug your shoulders put the flattened piece in the recycling bin and get another one.
Chairigami furniture is made with thick triple-walled corrugated cardboard which is made of 70% recycled cardboard and 30% FSC certified virgin fibre.
No glue or resins are used and no screws or tools are needed for assembly as each piece elegantly slots together. It comes flat-packed and is very lightweight - yet another green advantage of the brand.
Zach's cardboard furniture pieces aren't the only ones I've seen, although I find his to be the most elegant. On sites like the ever-brilliant Instructables you can find step-by-step guides to making your own cardboard creations from a simple and portable cardboard chair to this whimsical cardboard cat bed.
Ultimately, designing cardboard furniture is about having fun and experimenting. It's has a low environmental impact and is a liberating alternative to the aquisitional behaviour that many consumers engage in by default.
Give cardboard furniture a try and you may find your footprint to be lighter and your wallet to be heavier.
Happy box-cutting!
