Slack Furniture is a collection that was created in response to the ever-growing problem of furniture waste. According to the EPA, over 12 million tons of furniture was disposed of in 2018. 80% of that was sent to landfill. The goal was to create long-lasting pieces that consumers could repair themselves. When the piece reaches the end of its life, the materials could then easily be repurposed keeping waste from landfill.
Development began with some exploratory sketches and experimentation with assembly and form. Emphasis was kept on simplicity and overall clarity.
The final collection consisted of a footrest/backrest (blue), a stool (orange), and a side table with integrated seat (yellow). The three objects used the same proportions to allow them to interact.
The overall form was kept largely ambiguous, which can lead to experimentation and new configurations.
The rope weaving process treats the wood structure as a loom. One continuous length of rope is fed through the included holes and weaved through the lengths running across. The tensioning process involves taking up the remaining slack and tying the end.
The final collection appears as visually focused and coherent. There is plenty of opportunity to further develop and add to this set of objects.