By Sung So-young
October 08, 2010
“People thought paper furniture was something unique - but more now see it as a green product.”
You doodle on it, fold it, wrap it and play tic-tac-toe on it - some people even fold it into airplanes. But when brought to life, paper - more precisely, what it becomes - is a growing industry all on its own. With the expert touch of designers, paper is transformed into chairs, bookshelves, toys and even clothes.
One factor leading the trend is environmentalism, as consumers move away from plastic products, especially shopping bags, to recycled paper and more creatively engineered furniture and apparel.
Momot’s superhero paper toys are popular with kids. Provided by Momot Design Studio
Paper toys for kids
If you find Bearbrick or Sony Angel irresistible, Momot is for you. Momot means “nemo nemo robot” (nemo is the word for square in Korean) and this brand offers hundreds of paper toys with different faces and outfits. From monsters to dog-faced humans, celebrities and superheroes, Momot Design Studio creates all these 5-inch tall-and-zany toys all out of paper.
“[People] say they can’t believe these toys come from just paper because paper is two-dimensional, but these toys are three-dimensional. That’s their first reaction,” said Lee Joon-kang, a Momot designer.
Lee is a leader in the paper-toy trend and first came up with the idea to make toys out of paper for his industrial design graduation project at Hoseo University in Asan.
Taking a closer look at these paper toys, the details are as delicate as the folds are precise. One Momot named Street People is actually a series of figures that have ear piercings and wear bulky watches, Adidas Superstar gear and black caps. All his accessories are detachable.
“Feedback from all these people was great after the graduation project. Right after that, we received business proposals from a couple of companies,” Lee said.
This picture is one I found separately wanted to include; it shows the depth of these paper toys really well!
Oh, and is that SANTA CLAUS in lumberjack clothes?! Well, I guess when you have to make so many toys, you dress for comfort. ^m^
Here’s one more I found... Wouldn’t you love to get something creative and cute like this instead of candy on Valentine’s Day?
Or, to demonstrate deeper love, perhaps you can put some candy pieces and cutesy notes inside the Momot.
That was the beginning of Momot Design Studio. Clients now include Nike Korea and hip clothing brands such as DOHC and Feltics.
Of the many paper varieties, the design house said it uses ordinary vellum paper.
“If we use some other paper that has a glossy texture, Momot doesn’t look like paper toys - but plastic toys,” Lee said. “In order to let the rough and natural feeling of paper survive, we insist on using ordinary paper.”
Among its other products, crafted paper bags and boxes are becoming especially popular thanks to the government ban on plastic bags. By cutting out Momot patterns by hand, a simple box is turned into a Momot product.
The design studio operates an online shopping mall at www.momotstore.com. A single Momot can be as cheap as 3,000 won ($2.70).
Ynnos started making paper furniture for kids in 2007. Provided by Ynnos
Paper furniture for children
Kang Jae-won and Yu Su-young both made props and sets after graduating from college. After creating many different props, with anything imaginable, they found that paper had limitless potential as a raw material. Layers of paper are sturdy enough to handle a human being’s weight - but still light enough to be lifted with a finger.
In 2007, Kang and Yu launched Ynnos, a company specializing in paper furniture for children. Their brand is Funny Paper.
After years of research and development, Ynnos has begun offering chairs, stools, tables, bookshelves and toy houses made with cardboard.
“In the early days, people thought paper furniture was something unique - but an increasing number of people now see it as a green product,” said Oh Dan-bee, a Ynnos public-relations officer.
In case there was any doubt, the state-run Korea Environment and Merchandise Testing Institute put the products under the microscope, so to speak. It found that the furniture is strong enough to hold up to 300 kilograms (661 pounds).
“The biggest advantage is it contains no toxic chemicals, ” said Oh, adding that the furniture is very mobile and safe for children.
Questions:
1. Do you make origami?
- What kinds of paper-folding do you know how to do?
- Many people also make hundreds of a certain kind, such as lucky stars and cranes, collect them in a glass jar, and maybe give them to friends as presents. Think about this American saying: “It’s the thought that counts.” Would you rather receive a gift with more sentimental value or monetary worth?
- What’s the weirdest /most interesting /most cherished piece of furnishing or decoration in your room?
- How long have you had it for? Where did you find it? What is the story behind it? Do you display it proudly or use it often? Or do you hide it away when people come over (just to make sure they don’t accidentally chip it or spill coffee over it)?
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!
Hopefully, my computer will be in tip-top shape in a couple of days :)
No comments:
Post a Comment