Smart Deco's furniture is clearly aimed at the college set. And, really, with the low price points and easy assembly (and recycling), it's perfect for dorm or teenage apartment life. We could also see it working in a new nursery or tucked inside a closet for extra organization. Add some paint, maybe some decorative paper, and you could really dress these simple pieces up.
There are three pieces available – SmartStand, SmartDresser and IntelliDesk – all made form Enviroboard, "a corrugated fiberboard that offers a sleek, smart alternative to traditional furniture substrates." Made in Northern California, the pieces require no tools or hardware for assembly and, when finished, can be recycled. Still, the makers claim the furniture is totally sturdy.
The pieces are available individually, starting at $43 and going up to $68, and can also be purchased as a set for $153. They're available in kraft finish or, for an upcharge, in white. It looks like the upgrade to white would be totally worth it. There's no mistaking the kraft finish as a cardboard box — although that could be great for DIYing.
More information: SmartDeco.
(Images & Video: SmartDeco)
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$43.00 - $153.00 for cardboard? Really...Better to buy off of craig's list or thrift stores. Way better recycling than tossing another sofa into waste land.
While I applaud the recycle-ability of these items, personally I would rather recycle thrifted real furniture which can go through multiple owners and not pulped after one use. Especially for the price.
I'd agree with the thrifting comment. It's greener, the furniture is sturdier, and the prices are better for what you get in return.
Cardboard furniture looks like kitty heaven, though.
I have the complete set (got it on Fab for cheap). I like them a lot. I'd rather have this furniture than some crappy IKEA furniture while I save for nice furniture that I actually want. The dresser and nightstand are really sturdy, the desk less so. I haven't taken the time to do any DIY with them, but I imagine it would be great for that. They're also really light and easy to move around, so you can try out different room layouts really easily.
I just set up the desk and table the other day, love them in my room. I'm in a temporary furniture situation and fresh out of college so this is ideal for me. The night stand is incredibly sturdy and holds a lot of gear. While the desk isn't quite as sturdy, it's a solid surface and nice and slim for a cramped room or minimalist work space.
As a student I would have killed for furniture like this. It makes any semi temporary space that much better and with super low commitment.
I repeat my comment from two years ago on another useless "green" product AT wrote about: a "recyclable" recycle bin, aka a cardboard trash can.
It's becoming extremely frustrating that companies (and websites hocking their wares) claiming to be green go for the easiest, and LAST part of the original waste hierarchy. The words are in the order they are because of their effectiveness and importance. It's not RECYCLE, reduce, reuse; it's REDUCE, reuse, recycle. As in, QUIT BUYING SO MUCH SHIT!
Did anyone else's parents have cardboard dressers almost exactly like these growing up? They were used for winter clothes in our family; light enough to tote up to the attic for the summer, sturdy enough to be opened and closed daily in the winter.
That said, there's no way my parents would have paid even the late '70s equivalent of $43 for them.
You go, VeggieGirl2!
EREUYI, that's the first thing I thought of! We had a couple of those and so did my grandma. They lasted forever. And yeah, they probably cost about $5, I know there's no way my parents would have paid $43-$68 for cardboard. It's crazy to me that someone would pay that much for something disposable...
And I second VEGGIEGIRL2!
VeggieGirl2 is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. Thrifting is the real recycling, because you are both reducing (by not adding demand, which would increase supply) and reusing.
"I'd rather have this furniture than some crappy IKEA furniture while I save for nice furniture that I actually want."
Really Nick M? So you would rather have cardboard furniture than actual wood and metal furniture for the same price? I'm not saying IKEA is great, it's not. But if you're going to buy something, why not spend the same amount (or less) on something that isn't a glorified moving box?
Example: $34 for a cardboard nightstand from Smart Deco VS $20 for this: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70176519/ or $30 for this: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80221352/ I would rather thrift, but if you really want to buy something, buy something that isn't going to melt when you spill your drink on it.
@EREUYI Ha, ours weren't temporary! When my mom was a single parent and we moved from tiny, crappy apartment to tiny, crappy apartment, each of us kids (there were 3 at the time) had 2 cardboard under-bed boxes and 1 three drawer cardboard dresser. I think I used mine all through elementary school up until highschool!
VeggieGirl2 took the words out of my mouth!
as a college student in a town with one tiny thrift store, I could definitely see myself investing something like this; sure, reducing is ideal, but moving into a house with no dressers leave little options. and I'd love to reuse old furniture, I'm a big DIYer, but with no car I'm stuck getting pieces from a very slim area. combine this with the fact that in a year I'll have to pack everything up into my family's Honda Civic and I can see how it may be worth paying $43 for cardboard to have a piece of furniture than folds down flat; I don't want to invest too much in other furniture that will have to be left behind and not necessarily purchased by the next renters.
Nah!! Not for me. If I could afford but very little in the way of furniture, I'd rather have one piece of decent quality furniture than this. I don't care if I have just one piece of furniture, I'd want that one piece to be nice. And if I have to move, at least I would have just the one piece of furniture to worry about.
I purchased cardboard dressers from Kmart in the mid90's and have to say they were perfect for storing small items. They eventually fell apart but I didn't mind becuase they were cheap. I still have my cardbaoard shoe storage and look for another every time I'm in a Kmart or any store that has storage. This line is rather expensive but thats because the cost of paper is not cheap. I can see myself splurging and using them for storing seasonal items.