Cardboard, I remember playing with it as a child in the form of those big voting booth enclosures that are no longer needed once the ballots are tallied. What to do with such a sustainable material that is also useful in your daily life? Why not make furtniture out of it?
This was the idea the Lazerian Studio, based in the United Kingdom, had when transforming these simple slabs of material into furnishings, modern and elegant.
Liam Hopkins, a well-known furniture designer, and artist Richard Sweeney put their creative brains together to design these green and innovative pieces of furniture. Many of these pieces were even put on display at Milan Design Week. There are pieces ranging from tables, arm chairs, to sofas, of which is designed after such structures as wasps nests and ocean life.
How were these furnishings designed you wonder? By carefully cutting and folding pieces of cardboard scraps left over in their factory, intricate and truly creative sculptures were formed into recycled furniture. You may think that this furniture is not sound because it is made of such flimsy material, but the exact opposite is true. In fact, by the way the furniture is constructed, there is no room for loose edges or unneeded space. They are crafted to meet structural and aesthetic expectations.
According to Inhabitat.com:
"Cardboard is not the only material that Hopkins and Sweeney are capable of transforming - their Borealis lampshades and Mensa coffee table are created from CNC machined plywood, showcasing the designer's skill in pushing a wide range of materials to their sculptural limit. The designers aim to create minimal waste through their use of repeated forms."
These new-comers onto the furnishing stage are truly making a lasting impression in buyer's homes. When will your next purchase be one of cardboard status?
Lisa
said on April 30, 2010