This British designer is turning cardboard boxes into furniture
Sustainability is no longer a buzzword in the realm of home decor, it is a way of life today. People are constantly inventing eco-friendly alternatives that not only reduce the carbon footprint but also add a touch of uniqueness to the living spaces. One such person is British designer Max Lamb who has presented his new furniture, that are completely made of cardboard.
Lamb finds beauty in secondary things
Lamb's collection is showcased at Gallery FUMI, a contemporary design and art gallery in London. He claims that no new boxes were purchased for this project. Instead, he used the cardboard boxes that have been piling up in his studio, which he finds "very difficult to throw away." He generally finds beauty in things that are often disposed of.
His 'Box' collection
To test the material's structural potential, Lamb is showcasing 33 distinct furniture pieces created from cardboard scraps from his studio. These pieces ranged from postage boxes to toilet rolls and others. The "Box" collection includes a collection of twenty-three seats in addition to larger items like a dining table and a sofa, constructed using just cardboard and handmade glue made of flour and water.
Lamb's furniture-making process
Lamb cut, folded, and layered cardboard boxes, using cardboard to create paper mache layers. He retained the package logos and cubist forms characteristic of cardboard box aesthetics, then added sculptural molding, earthy pigments, and compositions to further enhance them. Every box is internally reinforced with cardboard lattices that resemble a kind of skeleton to guarantee their structural stability.
Plastic-free collection
Lamb's goal was to investigate if this common material could function as structural support on its own without the requirement for plastic reinforcing. And it's fair to say, he succeeded. The only decoration on the furniture is the occasional stripes of paint, which are created using mineral pigments and linseed oil. The designer claims that the collection is eternally recyclable, and simple to repair.
Rise of cardboard furniture
Cardboard furniture is not a recent phenomenon. It has a history dating back to the early 20th century, but it has gained renewed attention in recent years due to a growing awareness of sustainability. Before Lamb, many have worked on the material in the past. Most notable is Berlin-based Ukrainian designer Illya Goldman Gubin who has been transforming cardboard into unique seats, and shelves.
