Myths about cardboard: let's dismantle 10 stereotypes (with our creations!)
Cardboard is an incredible material: light, ecological, versatile… Yet, every now and then, someone turns up their noses.
“Imagine if it holds…”
“But doesn’t it break right away?”
“Come on, it’s kid’s stuff!”
Don’t worry: we are here to answer the most frequently asked questions (and doubts) once and for all.
10 false myths about cardboard that we hear every day... and that we debunk with real examples!
1. “Cardboard is fragile and not very resistant”
False!
Take the packaging carton out of your mind with which they deliver packages to your home. Our cardboard has nothing to do with this material, in fact we usually work with triple-wave panels with a thickness of 14 mm. An extremely robust material with an internal structure that guarantees strength, stability and durability. To this must be added the great experience of our designers in designing solutions that are adequately structured to withstand the use to which they will be subjected. If you know how to design a cardboard piece of furniture, the capacity will not be a problem, it is simply a matter of scientifically evaluating thicknesses, supports and joints to ensure that the design is functional for the purpose.
Our seats are able to support significant weights, over 130 kg! And, as you can see from the photo below, we also create libraries that can be loaded with tomes… without fear! 😉
2. “It spoils quickly with humidity”
Depends on!
Our furniture is made from “naval” type cardboard, a material known by this name because it is often used for packaging in maritime transport. It is therefore a cardboard that is not afraid of small environmental humidity and an interior furnished with our furniture can be easily cleaned with a mop … just don’t throw a bucket on the furniture! If necessary, the external surface of the panel can be treated with a water-repellent varnish or even coupled with other materials such as cork, laminate or “ecolam” (a printable and water-repellent flat cardboard, a sort of Tetrapack recyclable in paper). The fact remains, however, that they are NOT solutions suitable for continuous outdoor use: it happens that the furniture is used in outdoor events, but with the awareness that if a storm should arrive it must be sheltered.
We use cardboard with surface protection or intelligent construction techniques: the vending and break area set-up sector is a prime example of how cardboard can also be used in contexts where humidity is a factor.
3. “It’s temporary, throwaway event stuff”
Not for us!
It’s true, we use a natural and recyclable material, but we believe that there can be no sustainability in “disposable” solutions. For this reason, all our furnishings and all our set-up solutions are designed to have excellent long-term performance for use. If we talk about retail or office furniture, this means that every detail is designed to ensure resistance to wear and tear over the years. In the case of events and stands, however, it means that everything is designed with a modular design, so that at the end of the event the goods can be easily disassembled and stored in reduced volumes, often on pallets.
Cardboard exhibition stands can be stored in our headquarters and a team of architects is available to customers to redesign the stand from fair to fair according to the available space, starting from what you have at home. In the photo below an example of how the material used to set up a stand was then reused by a company to create a lounge bar in its headquarters.
4. “It can’t have a beautiful design”
But who said that?!
De gustibus non disputandum est, we all agree. But in terms of design, cardboard is the dream of any designer: it is robust and at the same time light, it can be cut into any shape, coupled with other materials, customized with direct high-definition prints. We are obviously biased, but we are of the opinion that with cardboard you can create solutions with a pleasant aesthetic, giving free rein to creativity. Then, of course, you have to know how to work with this material and it is true that some cardboard furniture that you see around is really cheap. However, we put over ten years of experience into it and this good or bad in design counts for a lot!
Cardboard allows shapes, volumes and joints that other materials dream of.
5. “Sounds like kid stuff”
Of course, if you do it wrong.
Each project is unique: there are more minimal and playful ones and others that are formal and institutional. As always, what makes the difference is the design and the ability to know how to listen to the customer to propose a design that is in line with his needs and the aesthetics he is looking for. It therefore happens to develop projects in which cardboard is put in the foreground, enhancing its material component and putting its corrugated profiles in the foreground. But it also happens to work for customers who do not want to see the cardboard, in which case we proceed to designs that hide the profiles (even with the help of edging). So there is a solution for all tastes, what is certain is that cardboard furniture is not a game, it is an absolutely serious thing!
Our cardboard is elegant, modern, also perfect for offices, luxury shops and showrooms.
6. “It gets dirty easily”
❌ With the right finishes, no.
First clarification: white cardboard is one thing, Havana cardboard is another. The first is in fact more delicate, while on the second the small imperfections due to daily use are not noticeable. Our offices are all furnished with desks, chests of drawers and bookcases in brown cardboard, we use this furniture 5 days a week and they are absolutely fantastic… if you come to visit us in our showroom in Falzè di Piave you will be able to see it with your own eyes! Then there is a second clarification: the shelves most subject to wear and tear must necessarily be reinforced if they want optimal performance over the years. The top of a reception desk or the worktop of a desk are usually finished with other materials such as cork, glass, laminate, or other materials that allow sanitation even with more aggressive products. And if the use of furniture is at high risk of spills or stains, we proceed with a water-repellent lamination (we do this for example in the vending sector where an upside-down coffee is the order of the day). For the rest, daily cleaning can be done with a simple vacuum cleaner and a damp cloth (no chemical detergents though!).
✅ If necessary, we can offer surface finishes that make the cardboard cleanable and more resistant.
7. “It’s hard to assemble/disassemble”
❌ No, it’s the opposite!
To assemble a cardboard cabinet you don’t need any skills, but that’s not all… You don’t even need an Allen key! 😉 Joking aside, our furniture is designed to be assembled by simple joints, so it is something within everyone’s reach, just follow the very clear instructions that we put inside the box. At most, it may happen for more structured furnishings that you are required to fix a top with a screwdriver (yes, it is possible to fix screws on the cardboard!), but in 99% of cases you will only need your hands and a bit of healthy desire to get involved going back to the times when you played construction! Then there is a quick-assembly line designed specifically for events… Well, these furnishings can be assembled (and disassembled) in a flash, see the video below if you don’t believe us!
✅ Our furniture is designed to be assembled in a few minutes, without tools.
8. “It’s not suitable for public or crowded spaces”
It depends on the design.
We have more than ten years of experience in the sector. We put the quality of the materials into it. And the commitment and passion of a team of architects, designers and fitters always at your disposal. Cardboard installations are not a game and we have had the opportunity to experiment with them with satisfaction and success in the most varied contexts. The only limits? Continuous outdoor use (we don’t like thunderstorms!) or unmanned public locations (we don’t like vandals either!).
Our set-ups are certified for events, shops, schools, fairs and much more.
9. “It’s not as sustainable as it seems”
❌ False.
It is difficult to imagine a furnishing solution or a set-up that has a lower environmental impact. We use an ecological material par excellence and even in the production and logistics phase we have great advantages in terms of sustainability. Then we are of the opinion that there is no sustainability in “disposable” projects and for this reason all our solutions are designed to be durable (in the case of shops or offices) and reusable (in the case of events). If you are still not convinced, also visit our section dedicated to sustainability.
✅ Our cardboard is 100% recyclable, recycled, and comes from controlled supply chains.
10. “It’s just a passing trend”
❌ No, it’s the future.
✅ More and more companies, designers and architects are choosing cardboard to innovate and respect the planet.
Be surprised by what cardboard can do
Are you looking for solutions for Events and Stands? set up a shop? Furnishing an office? Renovate the break area? Send us an enquiry
