Flat-packed designs are really quite intriguing! They’re portable, easy to put together, and occupy minimum space. And, this innovative technology is now being introduced to almost all kinds of product designs…including furniture! From foldable chairs to pet houses, there’s nothing that cannot be flat-packed. These designs, not only rate high on space efficiency, but also eliminate the usage of heavier space-consuming designs. They are definitely functionally and ergonomically beneficial, but they also possess minimal and clean aesthetics, that allow them to harmoniously blend with any living space. Flat-packed furniture is also a major boon when you’re moving houses. You can easily ship all your furniture from one home to another, without having to do any heavy lifting and carrying. Flat-packed furniture designs are truly the future!
In the unfolded position, FLUP works like a conventional mat or rug on which we can sit or step without interrupting the movement of people through the space. It transforms from plane to volume, from floor to space while changing the function with its shape. In the folded position, it works as a piece of minimal furniture – it can be used as a pouf, an auxiliary seat, a footrest, a nightstand, etc. It is a perfect example of space-saving furniture. What makes it better is that there is no assembly required, it is a singular element that transforms with folds into another object like origami.
The Lu chair gives this simple and popular idea a modern makeover, make furniture foldable and transportable easily. And this is the best foldable chair I have seen so far! The Lu chair folds without effort and can be carried around very easily. A lot of designs we see are foldable but even after folding not easy to carry around or takes too much time to fold. Made up of plastic, this makes the mechanism work perfectly. As Lu explains, “Many times we find ourselves having to put away objects, perhaps to make room, perhaps to clean the house and sometimes even to take them with us, but above all for furniture of a certain level it is always very difficult.
The Atlas isn’t a conventional side-table. It comes almost with the proportions and shape of an easel, sporting an A-shaped frame. It comes with a slightly inclined design too, keeping the stand stable and preventing it from tipping over due to your bag’s weight. On top, two tiny hooks let you hang your backpack, bag, duffle, suitcase, purse, or tote, while a flat surface acts as a storage area for your phone, AirPods, sunglasses, etc. Its 6-part design is rather easy to set up and requires just two screws to hold in place. The entire stand ships flat-packed to you and can be assembled in well under 5 minutes.
Creation of industrial designers Yin-Yu Lo and Trinna Wu, this accessory takes flat packaging as the core idea for portability. I like the idea of having the option to carry a comfy sofa to the next camping trip or the leisurely beach day on the weekend. It can even be a good option for people who frequently move from one apartment to another or light up a dorm room with ease! The duo has designed the urban sofa using 3D weaving distance technology in the inflatable structure. This production method keeps the middle surface of the sofa flat with a stable supporting force that prevents eventual sagging with such inflatable products. It can be inflated instantly without much hassle, and the stiffness level of the seat and cushion can be adjusted as required. When it needs to be transported to another place, deflate Puffa and easily carry it public transit or store it in the car’s boot.
With laser-cut pieces of wood that simply interlock to create your design, staxxiom is building on IKEA’s DIY culture by making their furniture more efficient, more eco-friendly, and as simplified as possible. That last part works in staxxiom’s favor too, because the simplified design gives their furniture a unified, wonderfully minimal aesthetic, along with the added benefit of being ridiculously easy to build too. Try, for a second, to describe the parts of a table in the simplest way possible. You’ve got 4 legs and a tabletop surface, right? In reality, though, furniture is often much more complex than that. There are many more aspects, like glue, screws, bolts, threaded inserts, rubber feet, etc. that go into making a great table that you often forget to describe. staxxiom’s designs outright do away with these minor complexities by keeping their furniture designs as visually and physically simple as possible.
The Bridge builds on the increasingly popular idea of an open office and a collaborative workspace (as opposed to compartmentalized cabin spaces). It’s entirely made from plywood and can be flat-packed to a location and assembled on spot. It uses wooden joineries instead of metal/glue fixtures and can be assembled and propped onto any open desk, uplifting your current workspace with a neat touch of greenery. The channels are big enough to hold potted plants and they give you the freedom to add plants of your own choice. Since the plants sit in their own planters (instead of directly in the wooden channel), they can easily be watered too without worrying about wood-rot or exposing the plywood to excess water/moisture.
Accordio’s form drew inspiration from the designer’s niece who had a silicone bowl plate. “I was intrigued by its flexibility and portability. After some research, I found that silicone also has a fascinating collapsible feature, which was later adapted into a foldable house,” explains Seong. The unique pet house is a study in portable pet furniture. The silicone makes it super lightweight and gives it a distinct collapsible feature. Silicone not only makes it easy to carry along for outdoor activities or travel but is also very easy to clean. Accordio can be compressed into 1/6th of its full size by pushing both sides. The fabric cushion included conveniently fits into the collapsed form for portability.
This cardboard chair is 100% recyclable, biodegradable, and easy to assemble! The MC 205 Cardboard Chair can be flat-packed and requires no tools to put together – something better than puzzles for game night? There were 13 prototypes before the MC 205 was finalized and now the company has released MC 207 which has been tweaked to be more comfortable. The team has also built upon the chair by adding more furniture like couches, tables, and counters made with the same principle. Imagine this but in the shape of the Iron Throne!
Chair 1:1 was born after a rigorous 5-year long design process that gave us a mountable/demountable chair whose every piece was molded in one go. This optimized the mold size, speeded up production, and reduced waste drastically when compared to a traditional chair. “It is sold just as it comes out of the mold, bypassing several steps; it will be the buyer who will complete the process: this is what we call hyper-seriality,” says the designer duo. “When looking at the Chair 1:1, it is inevitable to have a blast from the past, remembering the boxed toy kits. There are no screws nor bolts: assembly is effortless + quick. Mounting an object makes a bond with it and makes you feel its full value; it builds an affection that stops you from getting rid of it.” The fastening elements of the individual parts are made to be easily producible and extremely resistant. It has been designed to be easily stored, shipped, and transported – 26 boxed up chairs take up only 1 square meter which is the key to increasing online sales as well as shipping sustainably!
Created using merino felt wool and birch wood, the Wool Lodge is a safe haven of sorts for your pet. You can arrange and form the flat-packed structure by yourself easily. The lodge features merino felt roof, with the rest of the structure being made from wood. Defleur’s lodge basically has two functions. Spacious enough to fit your cat’s litter box, the lodge shelters the box within its structure. Your cat can sneak away, and pee or poop in privacy, away from any prying eyes. On the other hand, you can install a soft cushion or mattress instead of a litter box in the lodge. This creates a personal space for your pet, it could be a cat or a doggo on the smaller side! Whenever your pet wants to simply relax and get away, they can hop into the shelter, safe from any external noises or extreme temperatures.
