I spent yesterday helping my sister move from one Brooklyn neighborhood to the one adjacent, and started thinking about how much cardboard box waste must be generated on a typical first of any month. Designer Wendy Plomp has created the brilliant Message in a Box, printing rug-like patterns on cardboard boxes.

There are many reasons why this is so good. From an interiors standpoint, since it often takes a while to fully unpack after a move, these patterned boxes can look decorative while storing our items. They can also serve as wall or floor decor, thus being repurposed. The idea of printing on cardboard boxes has a number of social implications as well; information can be passed in food aid drops, praying rugs improvised, or temporary shelters made.

The order form on the website is a little bit buggy, but I'll be sure to update once the issues are ironed out.