A humble cardboard box is reinvented into functional, modular furniture

A lot of my friends who are parents often complain (well, not really) that they buy expensive toys for their kids only for them to fall in love with the packaging. In fact they play with the boxes and packages more than the actual toys. Maybe we should just stick to buying kids boxes rather than actual toys and we’ll all save a lot of money, right? Discarded boxes are some of the biggest waste that we have in junkyards, although because of their materials, you are able to actually recycle them at the end of their life cycle. But what if you could use them for other things instead of just recycling and throwing them away?

Designer: Lee Lin

This designer was able to come up with a furniture series based on warehouse boxes. Instead of just recycling them or discarding them into its original material, Lee Lin instead was able to turn both new and used boxes into stackable block-shaped things that you can use to create chairs, tables, or just some decorative items for your space.

The “unusable” parts are cut out of the boxes and then they are stocked into block shapes. The designer them coats them with a thick layer of paint and after it dries, the process is repeated over and over. They also put breathing holes in the boxes so they will not eventually rot as the air is circulating within them. Since it has no fixed frame, you can use it to create whatever you need, whether it’s a stool, bench, side table, main table, or just a decorative ornament for the room.

The renders show dark blue boxes with a rough texture but they don’t really look like boxes. If you have a dark aesthetic, then this would fit right in your room or space. Depending on the lighting, it can look like it’s made from ceramics or plastic or even a water-based design. As to how sturdy these will be remains to be seen. At least if you’re just using it for decor, it shouldn’t be that bad. Sitting on it for a long time or putting stuff on top of it will be another matter.