Paper and cardboard are cutting edge. Where to buy designer furniture and accessories featuring paper and card.
Paper and cardboard are being transformed into groovy and recyclable interiors accessories and, surprisingly sturdy furniture in the hands of the worlds’ leading contemporary designers.
The UK currently gets through 12.5 million tonnes of paper and board per annum of which over 4.7 million tonnes ends up heading for land fill where, although it may well be biodegradeable, it’s destined to produce methane gas, a major contributor to global warming. Don’t bin it! Recycling uses an average of 50% less energy consumption compared with incinerating paper and cardboard, over the entire life-cycle.
Furniture
Art meets matter www.artmeetsmatter.co.uk
Foldable, recyclable and postable Factum recycled paper board furniture sporting various designs including an exuberant chintz as well as plain for DIY ‘graffiti’ finishes.
Farm Designs www.farmdesigns.co.uk
Designer Giles Miller transforms corrugated cardboard into a honeycomb’esque rocker chair and bench. And, using a technique called fluting that exploits the corrugations, he also transforms the material into a surprisingly decorative screen, lamp and table.
It www.tarabox.com
The lightweight itbed base is made from 7mm cardboard and is designed to expand and contract, concertina style, enabling it to be packed away when not in use. It comes in two variations, one for futons and one for mattresses, and four sizes.
junction4a www.junction4a.com
Durable, flat-pack cardboard stools boasting both environmental and ergonomic attributes. Ideally suited to customisation with artwork (there’s a limited edition version called Graffiti by Sharon Elphick) or company logos, the regular size costs a very reasonable £9.90, although there is a minimum order of 250! The limited edition designs can be bought individually for £60.
Muji www.muji.eu
‘Craft’ or grey coloured pulp board storage/shelving units.
Paperpod www.paperpod.co.uk
Range of environmentally friendly and sturdy flat-pack designs for kids’ play made from recycled corrugated cardboard and left blank for children to decorate themselves. Options take in chairs, toy fort, dolls house and playhouse.
ReturDesign www.returdesign.com
An eye-popping range of sturdy, contemporary ‘sustainable eco furniture’ taking in shelves, tables, seating and screens from Sweden. Made with 100% cellulose, the designs are rendered practically incombustible with a secret salt solution. For added longevity, special paint and lacquer finishes are available.
Screens
John Paul Jacques www.jpjacques.com
Grid-like Shoji screens made from maple frames in filled with Japanese paper, for use as unobtrusive sliding room dividers, freestanding screens, cupboard and wardrobe doors or window treatments etc.
Molo www.molodesign.com
Canadian architectural design outfit famous for their ‘soft wall’, a flexible paper room divider-cum-screen which comes in white, kraft (brown) and black and is recyclable.
Flooring
Crucial Trading www.crucial-trading.com
Ten styles of 100% woven paper yarn carpet for use as freestanding or fully fitted floor coverings.
Skandium www.skandium.com
The eco-friendly Woodnotes’ flooring collection from Finland is spun from kraft paper, dyed without use of organic halogen compounds or heavy metals and is biodegradable. Standard rugs come in various chic patterns and colours and combinations thereof.
Fabric
Somic www.somic.co.uk
Kraft paper spinners and weavers producing a wide range of cords, braids and weaves in various natural and coloured shades.
Lighting
Bomdesign www.bomdesign.nl
Dutch designers with a witty way with recycled materials. Their book lamp or (boeklampen) transforms used books into decorative shades.
Paul Lighterness www.salone-coex.com
‘In the shade’ is a nifty metal disc augmented with plastic rivets which transforms old postcards, tube tickets, and take away menus etc into a bespoke pendant light shade.
Contemporary furniture for the home. Storage, shelving and home office furniture, offering contemporary style and sustainability www.ottofurniture.com. Further information on eco furniture, eco designers and eco-retailers is available on this site.
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