When you think of cardboard, what comes to mind? For most, an empty box, maybe a gift, maybe a pain in the rear to get rid of responsibly. Doubtful that a hanging lamp, high chair, or camera are anywhere near the images that arise. Yet these are exactly the kinds of items that can be made of cardboard. Durable, strong, striking, and even stylish, corrugated board is far more versatile than given credit for, and is one of the most upcyclable resources available. Check out some of the coolest cardboard products available today and see why this amazing material should be considered as a viable option for your next dining room set.
Frank Gehry, "Wiggle Chair", 1972
Cardboard furniture is especially cool, and cardboard is easy to manipulate into designs that seem outright space-age. In 1972, a man named Frank Gehry made history when he introduced the Wiggle Chair, one long stretch of thick corrugated board, layered and folded in on itself under the seat, to provide amazing stability and comfort perfectly harmonized with a bold statement.
What To Do With That Cardboard Blox?
Bloxes are a new modular system, made entirely of folded cardboard and designed for eternal expansion in any direction you choose. This origami architecture is strong enough to stand on its own, and assembles with absolutely no tools but your own two hands. Entire walls can be made of the Bloxes, as well as words, ladders, or just alcoves for plants and vases. Innovative, ingenious, and purely recyclable, the multi-faceted design lends lots of visual texture and interest to any room.
Diseño Cartonero
Santiago Monahan provides one off pieces that are entirely functional and aesthetically pleasing. His line called Diseño Cartonero, or “Carboard Collector Design”, is 100% recycled corrugated board that the artist buys from local garbage collectors at a price higher than they would receive at a recycling facility. He then bends the board to his will to produce unique magazine racks, crate chairs, and chandelier lamps that strike bold statements and upcycling awareness. Green furniture at its finest.
Did You Say Highchair?
Consider the flatpak highchair by Belkiz Feedaway for baby at dinnertime. Made from 100% recycled cardboard, this ingenious and prettily printed highchair really is durable enough to accommodate a baby, yet be space-efficient enough to fold away flat and store in a spare crevice if room gets tight. It is perfect for travel, absolutely safe, and a great way to introduce the concept of environmental stewardship to friends, family, and the next generation.
If It’s Good Enough for Baby, It’s Good Enough for Kitty
Warren Lieu invented a clever corrugated sculpture that is fascinating to behold. Shaped like half a honey-pot, this awesome cathouse is composed of laser-cut layers of cardboard adhered together with non-toxic glue. It also doubles as a convenient scratching post for your beloved feline. The Cat Cocoon is definitely a conversation piece as well as a great way to express your views on recycling for the environment.
Say Cheese!
While these cardboard cameras are not functional, they’re amazing displays of exact detail, fully rendered in upcycled corrugated board. Minute detail is incorporated into even centimeter of these stunning sculptures offered by artist Kiel Johnson, even including antique models and Polaroids. Every button, line and curve is faithfully represented in cardboard.
Tune In!
One half of the ‘Kosmos Project’ design studio, the Polish Ewa Bochen combined ordinary material with an everyday object, and created something sacred. Her crucifix-shaped cardboard radios, looking like an ashy wood with a metal antenna, serve as a commentary on contemporary loneliness, the power of the media and the need to belong.
Light the Way
Scrap lights are a really nifty hanging light by design studio Graypants, based in Seattle. Repurposed corrugated board has been carefully layered together in rings to create a unique lamplight that seems to glow in a mesmerizing way. Quite stately and an excellent choice for a bar or restaurant that wishes to promote environmental stewardship, these eye-catching lights are one of the coolest upcycled cardboard products with which to grace a room available today.
Reviving the Record
GGRP, a Vancouver-based sound house, developed an ingenious album packaging that transforms into a cardboard record player. A 45rpm player unfolds from a single piece of cardboard and voila, your record is ready to be heard. The vibrations travel through the needle and are naturally amplified through the cardboard material. This imaginative marketing campaign product recently won the Gold Lion at the Cannes International Advertising Festival.
Let the Fiesta Begin!
Based out of Buenos Aires, industrial and product designer Georgina Pizzabiocche’s colorful Banquito Cartoon cardboard stools would brighten up any fiesta. They may look like whimsical party decorations, but these stools are strong enough to support heavy weights without losing their shape, and sustainable to boot being 100% recyclable.