Student Transforms Cardboard into Stylish, Sturdy Furniture

FDT Bureau

You receive a package containing flat cardboard sheets along with easy-to-follow instructions. After unpacking and assembling the pieces, you have a sturdy stool ready for use, capable of supporting over 100kg and lasting up to five years. Quite impressive, right? The mastermind behind this innovative concept is Karthic Rathinam, a 23-year-old from Chennai. By employing an interlocking technique, he has created IKEA-style furniture that eliminates the need for screws, bolts or messy adhesives. Know more about it on FURNITURE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY (FDT).

Karthic’s creativity emerged from necessity rather than as a business venture. In 2018, a significant land scam involving the Maharashtra government led to the seizure of properties owned by well-known builder DS Kulkarni, affecting many, including students at DSK International School of Design, where Karthic was enrolled. The students were suddenly relocated to a temporary campus, which was quite a shift. Previously, his hostel provided ample facilities, but now he found himself in an empty flat with just 40 cardboard boxes used for moving. With no funds to buy furniture and not wanting to burden his parents financially, Karthic initially considered making his own wooden furniture, but it proved too costly. Instead, he tapped into his product design skills to craft furniture from cardboard. He created a bed and a stool, and the bed lasted eight months. As he sourced more cardboard, he built a study table, a sofa and other items, ultimately furnishing his entire apartment. He realized that these experiments weren’t commercially available, and he wanted to take it further.

However, just as he was finishing his degree, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, prompting him to return to Chennai. During the early pandemic, he noticed sanitiser stands selling for around Rs 2,000, and it occurred to him that he could make a cardboard version of it for even less. Karthic crafted a sanitiser stand and shared a video on Facebook, pricing it at Rs 500. The response was overwhelming; he received around 2,000 orders within a week, which led to the foundation of his successful startup. He initially expected about 30 orders, so scaling production on his own was a challenge. Many vendors were skeptical, but eventually, one agreed to collaborate. He shipped orders across India and even 800 to the UK. However, he realized that building the stands as individual units was impractical due to space and shipping costs, so he pivoted to creating flat-pack designs that users could easily assemble. His video on social media also caught the attention of someone in South Africa, who wanted to produce the cardboard furniture locally. They established a royalty-sharing agreement, and he patented the design, leading to sales of 28,000 units across 55 countries, generating Rs 6 lakh in revenue.

Karthic then moved to Gujarat to expand his product range, benefiting from the state’s paper industry. He hired a team of six and designed 55 products, but logistical issues forced him to return to Chennai in April 2021. By June, he began anew with a team of four, developing 26 products that underwent extensive prototyping and testing. In January 2022, Karthic launched Out of the Box, offering eight cardboard products, including a chair, stool, laptop stand, bookshelf, hexagon shelf, table lamp and study table. All the products are made from 100 per cent cardboard, and can support up to 150kg, and are waterproof and oil-resistant, with a lifespan of five years. Additionally, they’re eco-friendly since the cardboards are recycled and no trees are cut down.

Karthic’s designs possess the strength comparable to thin plywood. He invested significant time identifying pressure points and optimizing the design for structural integrity. The pieces fit together like IKEA furniture, allowing for easy transport and assembly without adhesives, making them cost-effective. Each product features a plant-based starch coating that provides water and oil resistance, with prices ranging from Rs 49 to Rs 700. In just a month since launching his startup, Karthic received nearly 200 orders. He is now working on creating a cardboard house and is testing its water and fireproof capabilities. Additionally, he plans to release new product ranges quarterly, including cabinets and pop-up installations.

Image credit: Out of the Box