On first sight, Paper Shaper’s furniture with candy stripes looks like it belongs in a doll house. It’s only when you get into the real dimensions that you realise that it’s made for full grown (butter eating) humans and is made to withstand all the weight. Plus, it’s eco-friendly, sturdy and super affordable. What’s not to like?
Here's the backstory. The Mehtas had a robust packaging family business going for years. Haresh, the founder of Paper Shaper had obviously grown up surrounded by mounds of cardboard sheets and seeing this business grow from strength to strength. But like it happens with every family, there comes along a kid who’s all for mad experiments. In this case, it was Haresh who realised that all that pale, brown cardboard could definitely be used in more ways than one. So there he was contorting it into odd structures till he finally arrived at the idea of using it to make furniture.
Slowly but surely, it evolved into a range of chairs and tables, shelves, drawers, organisers and even origami lamps that were not just healthier for the environment (no trees being killed for wood, right?) but also so practical for someone who wasn’t going to be in a long-term relationship with an apartment. Bonus: It’s really cheap too – the storage boxes cost INR 570 for a set of two and an adult office tables for INR 5,500.
If the cost isn’t a compelling argument for you, consider the fact that it’s low maintenance. It won’t need rubbing, polishing or a crane to haul it up your balcony because your poor apartment elevator can’t take it. The furniture is all very easy to assemble at home and made using corrugated cardboard, it’s built to take all your weight (you can go and eat that samosa without a doubt).
What’s more? No termites and no need to look for rusty nails or pesky screws to install. The parts fit together as if they belong in heaven and it’s literally as fuss-free as furniture gets.
