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Karton offers recycled cardboard creations for home furniture

Karton offers recycled cardboard creations for home furniture
Aside from the Paperpedic Bed, Karton's range include chests of drawers, TV units, room partitions and cardboard animals which can be decorated and painted
Aside from the Paperpedic Bed, Karton's range include chests of drawers, TV units, room partitions and cardboard animals which can be decorated and painted
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Measuring 203 cm (79 in) in length and 30 cm (12 in) high, the "Paperpedic" bed is made from 100 percent recyclable cardboard and can be assembled within minutes
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Measuring 203 cm (79 in) in length and 30 cm (12 in) high, the "Paperpedic" bed is made from 100 percent recyclable cardboard and can be assembled within minutes
Aside from the Paperpedic Bed, Karton's range include chests of drawers, TV units, room partitions and cardboard animals which can be decorated and painted
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Aside from the Paperpedic Bed, Karton's range include chests of drawers, TV units, room partitions and cardboard animals which can be decorated and painted
Each piece of furniture is delivered as a flat-packed paper stack and can be put together without any tools or glue
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Each piece of furniture is delivered as a flat-packed paper stack and can be put together without any tools or glue
Wollner says Karton won't be resting on its laurels, with some ideas to expand its range already in the pipeline
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Wollner says Karton won't be resting on its laurels, with some ideas to expand its range already in the pipeline
View gallery - 4 images

It's generally only when its time to pack up and move house that the typical homeowner encounters large quantities of cardboard. In bicycle helmets and vacuum cleaners, however, we have seen some innovative applications for the material beyond its use as lightweight and durable packaging. Karton, a cardboard furniture company offering everything from beds to room dividers, takes a similar approach, yet aims to go beyond the novel and make its paper constructions a charming and practical part of your living solution.

While using recycled cardboard for the kinds of products mentioned above can be innovative and somewhat inspiring, to make them viable on a commercial scale is another matter. This is something Ralph Wollner, Director of the Karton Group, says distinguishes his company from other like-minded vendors of cardboard creations out there.

"There's a number of designers out there who produce one-off pieces," Wollner told Gizmag, "but for small production teams, it is difficult to create products that aren't expensive and still of high-quality."

With offices in Melbourne, Australia, Karton is an online-only store which keeps costs low by sourcing products by designers from all corners of the globe.

"We represent Stange Design, a German company who has been designing and producing cardboard furniture for 30 years," says Wollner. "Sourcing our furniture from here, along with firms in the Netherlands, New Zealand and the Middle East allows us to make our prices realistic."

Wollner's perception of "realistic" appears in step with that of his customers, with the company recently selling its 1,000th "Paperpedic Bed." Measuring 203 cm (79 in) in length and 30 cm (12 in) high, the bed is made from 100 percent recyclable cardboard and, according to the company, can be assembled within minutes.

"I think its attractive because it is versatile, different and challenges tradition," says Wollner of his number one seller.

Each piece of furniture is delivered as a flat-packed paper stack and can be put together without any tools or glue. In addition to the Paperpedic Bed, Karton's range include chests of drawers, TV units, room partitions and even cardboard animals that can be decorated and painted.

Though already boasting an extensive range, Wollner says Karton won't be resting on its laurels, with ideas to expand its offering already in the pipeline.

"In April, we'll be introducing 3D paper wall tiles which can be decorated and customized to create a feature wall," says Wollner. "In May, we'll be bringing in a system for hanging clothes and looking at other wardrobe solutions. We're always exploring possibilities for new products and new ideas."

You can get an idea of the Paperpedic Bed's strength in the video below.

Source: Karton

The Cardboard Bed Test

View gallery - 4 images
6 comments
6 comments
Gadgeteer
Not a bad idea, except my cats would shred all of that furniture in short order. They love clawing corrugated cardboard. Any kind of liquid spills or mopping the floor would also be hazardous to the cardboard.
SteveMc
Not sure about the practicality of this at all. What's the realistic lifespan of this furniture? WHY is it so expensive?? Maybe beds and furniture are really expensive in Australia but we can buy a sustainable timber bed frame for a similar price. This is for EcoGeeks and people with too much money that wish to buy themselves into their own perception of being cool.
BigGoofyGuy
I think the eco-animals could be the basis on which one put paper mache to create a more artistic animal.
IMO, the prices seem reasonable.
I think the designs are clever. They have a nice variety of things one can get in cardboard.
I wonder if one could buy the plans instead of the kits? Perhaps this would make it more affordable?
Gavin Zubka
I Have a use for this if it is cheap. I am a college student and it would be a lot easier to furnish my room with this furniture that can be shipped to my address and then throw it out at the end of the school year instead of having to store it or bring it back with me, not the most environmentally friendly approach though. But it would be nice knowing if it got damaged it isn't a very big deal. This is coming from a student who brought his own bed to school because the twin sized ones in the dorms are just to small....
yosuperyo
My wife is right, this is fire hazard at best. No more romantic candles...
Michael Crumpton
In college I made a bed out of a bunch of cardboard liquor boxes. I just assembled them, lassoed them with some tape into a rectangular megabox and slapped a futon on top. The bed worked fine for 2 years, and when I moved I took off the tape and used the boxes to pack up my stuff.