People move often, but their furniture usually does not go with them. This leads to a lot of waste, like the piles of old furniture often seen on New York City streets. Aidan Reinhold wants to change that with his FlatFlat thesis project at Parsons School of Design. He has come up with a creative collection of flat-pack furniture that is easy to carry and move. These pieces pack down flat for simple transport, but still work just like regular furniture.
Reinhold has himself experienced the issue of leaving furniture when relocating, which inspired him to devise easily movable furniture that finally resulted in FlatFlat. “My goal with FlatFlat was to make the process of shipment, packing, unpacking, and assembling as simple and efficient as possible, and for the pieces to be durable enough to withstand it,” he explains.
The FlatFlat collection features a chair, side table, seat, and small rack, each crafted from locally sourced, laser-cut aluminum sheets and hand-fabricated. The company claims to use 80 percent recycled materials in its production. There are no details about the weight of the pieces yet, but you can expect the lounge chair to weigh around 20 lbs.
All pieces in the collection are designed to assemble without any hardware. You just need to join the two interlocking pieces. Hinges and rivets allow the pieces to fold and unfold for a true flat-pack design. Thanks to their all-aluminum construction, these pieces can be infinitely recycled at the end of their life to ensure sustainability.
The LoungeChair is made of two main parts: one forms the seat and backrest, while the other secures the structure for stable seating. The FoldTable features a foldable base paired with a rounded tabletop, and the FoldSeat is built from two interlocking pieces. The StackRack is a floor-standing shelf made of multiple components that stack on top of each other.
Also Read: Researchers Sew Fabric and Acrylic Panels Into Flat-Pack Furniture Using Robotic Machines
Since graduation, Reinhold has showcased FlatFlat at major events worldwide, including Dutch Design Week. He is now expanding the collection with new pieces, such as a pair of chairs he plans to debut at NYCxDesign. Additionally, Reinhold is developing custom seat cushions and an upholstered convertible sofa bed made from recycled foam and military surplus fabrics.
These flat-pack pieces make it easier to take your furniture with you when you need to relocate to a different place. The FlatFlat collection is now available for purchase, with prices starting at $150 for the FoldTable and StackRack. The LoungeChair is priced at $500, and the FoldSeat is available for $350, all through the official website.
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