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Friday, June 3, 2011

Moving Boxes: DIY Modular Cardboard-Recycling Bookcases


Why pay more for modularity when light, cheap and portable will do? That is the question this
creative shelving system seeks to answer, using a series of simple cardboard sheets cut into sturdy square-box storage shelves.

Minimalist designer Dany Gilles used a kit-of-parts approach, raiding recycling bins for usable scrap (as can be seen via the labels on the sides of the boxes). The interlocking parts create a system of stable stand-alone book or display shelves that are each structurally independent from the next.

A set of top-and-bottom, tongue-and-groove ‘lips’ and ‘slots’ makes it easy to stack one unit on top of the next. While the result may not be as waterproof or generally durable as the IKEA equivalent, it is certainly much cheaper and lighter.

Other projects by Gilles explore innovative and material-efficient ways to recycle ordinary scrap paper and use standard-dimension building elements (like dimensional lumber) to create simple, unique and functional everyday objects including coat racks, lamps and more.