Archive · 19 May 2025
Chennai Designer Builds Cardboard House: Sustainable Living
Karthic Rathinam, a designer in Chennai, is building furniture and even a house made of cardboard!
It started when he was a student and couldn't afford regular furniture.
He found that cardboard was cheap and he could build things with it.
He made a bed, table, and shelves.
Now, his company makes various products like tables, and even sculptures, all from strong, water-resistant cardboard.
His cardboard stool can hold up to 300 kg!
He is also trying to make them fire-resistant.
These products are eco-friendly and recyclable.
He wants to show that cardboard can be used to build useful and cost-effective structures.
Karthic Rathinam, based in Chennai, designs and builds furniture and other items from cardboard.
He began making cardboard furniture due to budget constraints as a student, creating items like beds and tables.
His company, Out of the Box, produces a variety of cardboard products, including tables, organizers, and sculptures.
The cardboard furniture is designed to be lightweight, water-resistant, and uses an interlocking technique.
Rathinam is currently working on making the cardboard fire-resistant and plans to build a cardboard house for himself.
- Who
- Karthic Rathinam
- What
- Building furniture and other items from cardboard
- When
- Began in 2021, currently ongoing
- Where
- Chennai, India
- Why
- Due to budget constraints and to explore the potential of cardboard as a sustainable material for furniture and temporary structures
- Location
- Chennai
- Company Name
- Out of the Box
- Products
- Cardboard furniture, sculptures, packaging
- Assembly
- DIY, interlocking technique
- Durability
- Water and Oil resistant
- Sustainability
- Recyclable