British-made printable cardboard furniture range launched

Renowned designer David Bartlett has launched a new range of cardboard furniture blanks that can be overprinted with custom designs.

Bartlett studied at the Royal College of Art and is well-known for his paper and cardboard engineering creations. His high-profile designs include a hat for Lady Gaga and a collaboration with milliner Philip Treacy to create a luxe Christmas cracker for Aspreys.

The Brand-it range encompasses 13 different items including chairs, plinths, tables, stools, graphic panels and brochure racks. 

The flat, die-cut blanks are produced for Brand-it by Diamond Packaging of Pontypool, south Wales, using a microflute board made in the UK by DS Smith.

"It’s a very fine microflute board with a clay-coated surface that’s ready for high-quality print," said Bartlett, who described the seats as "stylish and very comfortable."

The pieces can be folded down for re-use, or kept flat and used as promotional giveaways. Brand-it pitches the range as a lightweight, reusable and recyclable alternative to conventional options. "No more renting chairs and tables at vast expense."

In Europe, the Brand-it products will be sold via a franchise arrangement whereby printers can purchase blanks and then overprint the pieces. The franchise costs £1,000 and the price of the blanks depends on volume.

Bartlett is also talking to exhibition organisers about including the products into exhibitor packs, and a major brand owner is looking at using Brand-it items for a large promotion.

In other parts of the world Bartlett will license his original designs.

The Brand-it range was inspired by a project for Habitat, when Bartlett created a paper table and chair for the retailer to mark the millennium.

"At the time you couldn’t get this particular microflute board," he explained. "When the board came out I made a chair for fun and people told me ‘you’ve got to do more of this’. The range as it is today is just the start."

For more information visit www.branditfurniture.com.