We’ve seen cardboard furniture before. For some reason, though, we’ve never quite seen them at the scale in which Karton is pumping out their corrugated home and office pieces.
Based in Australia, the company doesn’t just do cardboard tables and stools — they’re turning out entire bedroom and office collections that go beyond what I’ve always thought cardboard furnishings can get away with. Standout pieces include the bedroom set (a size-customizable bed, two side tables and four bottom drawers), the Chairman’s Table (a large office desk that can also be used as a dining table) and The Barnyard Method (cardboard animal shapes stocked with multiple levels of shelves).
Karton uses extra-strength corrugated cardboard as their only material, all of which ship in a flat box with assembly instructions. That’s right, you get to put everything together, making it just as interesting a weekend building project as the idea of sleeping on a frame made from cardboard is fascinating.
The boards slot together using folds and tabs integrated into the design, with no tools, no glue and no other accessories necessary. That means you can easily disassemble them when moving or rearranging, making for a convenient choice in furnishings for dorms, apartments and temporary lodging. You can also finish the cardboard in paint or varnish to personalize it a bit.
While the idea of cardboard materials may sound like you’re going to get dirt cheap furniture, that’s not exactly the case here. For the most part, pricing mirrors what you can get with regular furniture from Ikea, which still makes Karton a very affordable option.