Cardboard Furniture

Cardboard furniture has crashed into the world of design and decor as an alternative to more classic materials (wood and/or metal).

It’s an option that respects the environment. Sustainability is certainly something that’s been on everyone’s mind in the past years.

We’re seeing more and more ideas on how to have a smaller impact on the environment and consume more responsibly.

This type of furniture has three features that are important in the world that we find ourselves in: innovation, sustainability, and recycling.

In today’s post, we’ll learn a little more about this trend that’s gaining more and more followers.

How did cardboard furniture become a thing?

Cardboard furniture isn’t anything new; it’s a concept that started many years ago, in the 60s.

In 1963, Peter Murdoch designed the children’s chair, “Spotty”. It was wildly successful in Anglo-Saxon countries.

Later, other designers like Peter Raacke and Frank Ghery also launched their own cardboard furniture ranges.

However, it wasn’t until the beginning of this century that this furniture started to become better known and functional.

Home staging was really when these furniture pieces started to appear.

The practice of home staging used this furniture to decorate showrooms or houses for sale in order to give clients a better idea of space and layout.

From its showroom beginnings, the practice of filling homes with cardboard furniture became a trend.

We can see this trend in its full glory in countries like Italy, France, The United States and Germany

In Spain, the number of companies that actually dedicate themselves to making cardboard furniture is increasing. However, it’s a trend that still doesn’t have too many followers.

Characteristics

Contrary to what we might think, cardboard furniture is actually quite strong.

It’s sturdy because the material that’s used is like a honeycomb, wavy and compact. This can even be stronger than compressed wood. It can support up to 150 kg.

But of course, it’s much lighter in comparison with wooden or metal furniture pieces. Its lighter weight means easy transportation.

If you take good care of your cardboard furniture (keeping it safe from humidity), it can last for about 10 years.

Additionally, it’s a recyclable material, which means you’re contributing to a healthier environment.

Economic factors also have a part to play when we opt for cardboard because it’s much cheaper than conventional furniture.

Advantages

The advantages of using cardboard furniture in our homes are:

• Functionality: you can use a piece of furniture for multiple purposes.
• Easy to transport: thanks to its light weight, cardboard is easy to move from one place to another.
• Simple to set-up: you don’t need any special tools– you actually don’t even need tools at all. You just set-up the pieces by fitting them together or simply take them apart.
• Recyclable: when they deteriorate, you just need to recycle them with your paper waste.
• Personalize them: the surface allows you to paint or customize your pieces however you like. Of course, there are options that already come with color and/or patterns, but you’ll always have the option of decorating it yourself.

Disadvantages

There aren’t too many companies in Spain that make cardboard furniture. Consequently, the prices for ready-to-use pieces can be a little high.

However, there are internet platforms where you can download patterns and make it yourself.

Another disadvantage is that cardboard furniture is strictly indoor furniture.

Humidity can ruin it in no time so you shouldn’t use them it kitchens, bathrooms nor outdoors.

Types of cardboard furniture

Essentially, there are two kinds of cardboard furniture:

• Fold-out furniture: this folds out or folds away just by moving one part of the furniture.
• Piece furniture: you can use separate pieces together to make something bigger or a certain shape.

Browsing both options, we can find an endless selection of cardboard furniture such as: lamps, chairs, dining tables, backyard playhouses or beds.

Who uses cardboard furniture the most?

As we mentioned previously, Spain still doesn’t have many cardboard furniture followers to date.

Students are the most common users.

In many cases, rental apartments are unfurnished. So, cardboard furniture becomes a cheap, simple, functional and ecological way to fill them.

This type of furniture is also good for elderly people as it doesn’t cause major injuries if they walk into it.

The real estate sector also uses it as well.

Conclusion

Cardboard furniture could be a great option for certain homes.

However, we don’t recommend it for your entire furniture collection as it crumbles in humidity and can be a fire hazard (if not made with fireproof materials).

In addition to being functional and innovative, this kind of furniture can help you contribute to a healthier environment.