Swedish design studio Interesting Times Gang debuted its 3D-printed Kelp chair in 2022 and since then, it held aspirations to create a seating solution from seaweed instead of recycled plastic. While the original design was constructed from recycled fishing nets and wood pulp, Interesting Times Gang successfully updated its design to make the most of Nordic sugar kelp, a brown seaweed grown in the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans.
The comfort provided by the sculptural Sugar Kelp Chair can be enhanced with a cushion that's made from the same material as its source. The upholstery comes from Keel Labs's seaweed-based Kelsun fiber and foam filler made from kelp biofoam from Norwegian start-up Agoprene.
This updated design is biodegradable at the end of its usable life.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Sustainable Furniture Materials
- Opportunity for integrating renewable resources like brown seaweed into furniture design for sustainable production.
- Biodegradable Upholstery Solutions
- Potential to utilize seaweed-based fibers and kelp biofoam for eco-friendly cushioning in furniture manufacturing.
- Circular Design Innovation
- Chance to explore closed-loop production systems with biodegradable materials like sugar kelp for furniture construction.
Where This Applies
- Furniture Manufacturing
- Innovative materials like seaweed offer opportunities for eco-friendly and sustainable furniture production processes.
- Textile Industry
- Development of seaweed-based fibers presents a sustainable alternative for upholstery materials in furniture manufacturing.
- Biodegradable Packaging
- Application of circular design principles using biodegradable seaweed-based materials can revolutionize packaging solutions.
