As we know, cardboard has become or is becoming a perfect material for making furniture. Although at first this may seem contradictory, there are cardboard furniture and they are becoming more and more relevant. The most normal thing is to think that these furniture cannot support large amounts of weight because they are made with a somewhat less resistant material. However, cardboard specially treated for the manufacture of furniture is a resistant, economical and sustainable material.
In this article we are going to explain all the characteristics of cardboard furniture, as well as its main advantages and disadvantages.
Cardboard furniture and environment
Among the main concerns that currently exist around the environment is its conservation and the proper use of natural resources. For construction, industry, etc. It is important to get materials that, during extraction and use contaminate as little as possible. The energy expenditure that must be used in its construction and use must be controlled, since then it would be the same problem. Recycling is one of the main options that you can have to reuse materials that you have no other opportunity as a product. Many of the ideas are dedicated to upcycling.
However, furniture has been associated with wood for a lifetime and it is difficult to change the mindset that recycled objects or materials can serve well for these uses. As we are trying in this century, innovation plays a fundamental role in the development of ideas and the manufacture of new products. For example, cardboard furniture is a revolution that will silence more than one doubt about it and its usefulness.
It is possible to design and manufacture furniture of all kinds with recycled cardboard, since, even if you think otherwise, it is a fairly resistant material.
Key features
Cardboard is a material that is made up of several layers of paper that are superimposed. This gives it greater strength than ordinary paper. The appearance of the cardboard is delimited by the upper layer which is what we see with the naked eye. Their finishes can be different and they can be both printed and painted.
Thanks to the intrinsic characteristics of cardboard we can make quite interesting furniture designs They not only fulfill their function of storage of objects, but of a strong innovative decoration of the home. As is evident, cardboard furniture must be kept as far away as possible from humidity or direct contact with water. As expected, there are no cardboard kitchen furniture, where normally, water is present on a daily basis.
The result of making cardboard furniture designs is quite fun and entertaining.. They are furniture that you can do on your own or buy them already made. For the more adventurous or hobbyists, this is a very good option to make your own furniture and not die trying.
To get beautiful designs, simply download pdf templates of some very successful furniture designs online. Some of these templates are free, but others have to be paid for.
The downside that this material can have is that it lasts less than wood or aluminum. But of course, this is to be expected being cardboard after all. Usually, the frequency with which we must replace the furniture is greater than common wooden or aluminum furniture. However, it is still cheaper, does not harm the environment and does not pollute anything. It can be said that, evaluating the costs of all levels, cardboard furniture is much cheaper.
A sustainable option
If you are not fond of crafts or simply do not feel like it or you do not have time to go around making your own furniture, a fairly sustainable option is to look for cardboard furniture already made on your own. There are thousands of designs manufactured and sold as if it were common furniture. This is because cardboard furniture is becoming a trend material.
For example, there are stores that allow you to choose furniture for children's rooms. There are tables, chairs, furniture, dressers, etc. In this way, you will not only be helping the environment by not polluting or deteriorating natural resources, but you will also be giving children a good education from an early age on environmental and conservation matters.
There are tree-shaped shelves, nicely finished chairs, etc. We can find furniture with more style than the common ones and at a very good price. The positive of this is that, although they have to be changed more frequently, This helps you to not have the house always decorated in the same way for pain of throwing new furniture.
More complex furniture with modular shelving is also manufactured. They are usually light but quite resistant and functional. You can customize the storage space to your liking. Many companies are already betting on recycled cardboard for some of their furniture pieces. Although it seems that it is not useful at all, armchairs or consoles are made with a frame of recycled cardboard material.
Some fabrications are perfect to place in bedrooms, entryways or any part of the house. These materials will give a modern and innovative touch to your home while you can be sure that they are totally sustainable.
Advantages and disadvantages of cardboard furniture
The main advantages can be collected in:
- It is totally sustainable, so it does not pollute the environment or deteriorate natural resources.
- They are quite resistant.
- Your models can be innovative and with great design.
- You can renew the home decor every so often.
- You can make them by yourself.
On the other hand, the disadvantages that cardboard furniture has are:
- They last less time, so they must be changed more frequently.
- They do not support humid places much less water.
- Some designs they don't have the full utility that a conventional piece of furniture can have.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about cardboard furniture.
These furniture look super modern, but I don't think it's a good investment because of the low durability