In the last few years, we’ve seen couches delivered in boxes that can easily fit through any doorway, making them a more convenient furniture solution for apartments and similar dwellings. Sure, you’ll have to do some assembly to finish the whole thing, but it’s usually simple enough for anyone to build. The Space10 Couch in an Envelope takes the idea of boxed-up couches to its logical conclusion by creating a couch that can fit in a giant envelope.
That’s right, they made a functional couch that can flat pack into a giant envelope that you can carry by hand from the store all the way to your house, which definitely makes it even more convenient than our current crop of sofas in a box. In case you’re not familiar with the creators, Space10 is an independent research and design lab that’s funded by IKEA, making this a potentially interesting avenue for future IKEA products.
The Space10 Couch in an Envelope is a flat-packed and modular sofa that can be assembled in a variety of configurations, giving you some leeway in how the finished piece looks like. Basically, it can be assembled as a bench, a chaise lounge, a couch with or without a backrest, a couch with or without armrests, and a few other configurations. Suffice to say, it’s a versatile design. Even better, it’s meant to be assembled without the use of any tools or fasteners (no screws), making it incredibly easy to put together and take down when you want to pack it up again.
According to the outfit, the modular design allows you to combine multiple couches in a variety of ways. For instance, you can remove one side of the armrests to add a second couch for bigger living room seating. You can also assemble it as a chaise and put two couches side by side to get a proper daybed. Basically, this lets you remix your furniture for whatever suits your particular needs at any time.
The Space10 Couch in an Envelope is cut in an aluminum frame, giving it the strength it needs to carry out its furniture duties, all while being lightweight enough that you can carry it by hand when flat-packed. So how light is it? According to the outfit, the whole thing weighs just 22 pounds, making it perfectly reasonable to carry when you’re on the move. It’s able to flat pack into an “envelope” housing by keeping the cushioning to a minimum, so this won’t give you a plush couch that will keep things comfy. Specifically, they used a thin layer of mycelium foam for cushioning and a cellulose-based fabric for upholstery, both of which are fully compostable and biodegradable. Combined with the easily recyclable aluminum, we imagine this is quite a sustainable furniture piece.
Want one? Sadly, the Space10 Couch in an Envelope is only a design prototype for now, with no plans of going into production any time soon. However, given its IKEA connections and how functional it looks, we imagine it will find its way to being in the furniture maker’s lineup at some point down the line.