Nomadic Furniture 1

Another favorite, Nomadic Furniture 1, by James Hennessey and Victor Papanek, published 1973, Pantheon Books.  At once retro and current in a

Readymade/Make/Ikea-hacker sort of way.  Although I've never made anything from this book, it's the second copy I've owned, the first having been given away at some point during a move, I'm sure.

As always, click to enlarge picture.

Cardboard seating, both for sale, and to make at home. 

The relaxing chair, of plywood, masonite, and optional egg carton foam, because "in our society (we) need to get the equivalent of 3-4 hourse of relaxing time in one hour..."

The ubiquitous bean bag, then still in its infancy.

The best and worst of the book, in my opinion: the please-don't-try-this-at-home disposable cardboard car seat.  Sure, it makes sense, environmentally, but do you think that it would meet the NHTSA safety standards?

You've just gotta love those single-sheet-of-plywood projects plans.  I really should think about aquainting myself with the table saw.  Or not.

Four collapsible, hardware-free stools from one sheet of plywood.  Cool.

Doll-sized version of above left seat here!

These, I think, are some of the funnier ones, with several takes on "the cube" including the entertaining and relaxation cubes here and also a work cube, and the children's cube on the book's cover.  Why, exactly, would you create a false, wall-free room within a room?  Foreshadowing of office cubicles?

Lighting from styrofoam cups, paper lanterns (Ikea?), and milk jugs.

The original rope lighting and adjustable swing arm lamp?

Storage, both homemade and high end, even more so now: Uten.Silo storage system was $90 then and is available again today starting at $295 here on up to $865 (!) in chrome here.

 

 

I sewed some bean bags for the boys last summer using this pattern instead as it seems preferable because the top and bottom pieces are round and the side pieces curved to fit them, rather than the straight edged pattern pieces here.  Still trying to figure out what to stuff them with, trying to avoid buying polystyrene pellets.  Even after saving all the packing peanuts from presents sent at Christmas they still weren't even a quarter of what one bean bag requires.  We've been bringing extra packing peanuts to the local shipping store for them to reuse for years now so they always tell me that if I ever need any I can just come and ask.  Might be time to call in my chips?  They are rather squeaky and lumpy compared to the tiny styrofoam pellets typically put into bean bags.  Hmmm.  I know Blair has been there before with the bean bag stuffing dilemma..  I'm going to have to go poke around over there for her post about this and see what others had to say in the comments there.

As for cardboard furniture, I've been thinking about purchasing the plans for this play kitchen.  E still asks for a wooden play kitchen for each birthdays and Christmas (Yeah, yeah. I know.  The cabinet maker's son....) but frankly, with the boys at age 5 and 8 now, I can't see spending a whole lot of time or money on either a homemade one or a purchased one.  Of course, I still want the real thing but that isn't really reasonable.  I'm thinking that he also might enjoy helping with the assembly of a cardboard one.  Then, when he tires of it, it can be taken apart and stored flat and eventually recycled or used as mulch in the garden or fire starter in the woodstove rather than taking up precious space, and money.

Oh, and look, there's a Nomadic Furniture 2.  I never knew.

Comments

[chrispy]

Wow this gives me flashbacks to my childhood. I would not have put it past my dad to make cardboard furniture and other simple things. His moto was "if it can't pack flat, we don't buy." We moved so much in the first 5 years of my life. He still is proud of his flat furniture but the less nomadic life is taking over and they are getting more things that don't break down.

[Lizz]

Oh that child car seat is so funny! Remember back then we didn't have to wear seat belts? Babies often rode on their mother's laps, so this was a step up, maybe. The cubes are intereting about the size of a market booth...

[lynn]

i made a beanbag chair for my kids when they were little. i stuffed it with an old foam mattress that i cut up into small pieces.it worked great.

[melody]

Love the disposable car seat... it actually looks safer than the little plastic stool my brother used in the car in the early seventies... As far as beanbag chairs, I used buckwheat hulls but I paid $11 for 25lbs and I can't seem to find a link for you where they are that cheap, but it would be worth a search because they work great.

[kendra]

Danny Seo posted about a packing peanut stuffed bean bag chair recently:
http://dannyseo.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/01/index.html (scroll down)

As for the play kitchen, my kids played many happy hours with theirs, little hutches and cabinets made by their Grandpa. They are in storage now, awaiting their kids some day. Don't overthink it though. A sturdy box placed upside down with burners drawn on makes a wonderful, long-lasting "stove."

[Yarrow]

Oh I just love vintage/retro books! Thanks for the looksey.

[Kristin Nicholas]

The 70's were great, weren't they? All those cool ideas looking new again.

[Jill]

I made beanbag chairs for the girls once, used packing peanuts as the filling and immediately wished I had shelled out the bucks for the bags of foam pieces sold at Joann's. The peanuts did not hold up well to flopping into the chair rather willy-nilly as the girls were prone to doing. They did not turn to powder or bits but lost their fluff quickly, resulting in a flat chair.

That car seat is terrifying! The cube immediately made me think of my uncle who always enjoyed a certain "weed" during his teen years...seems like just the sort of hiding while in plain view place he would have wanted someone to build him.

[Brandy]

We love our buckwheat hull pillows - would those be too heavy for a bean bag chair? Our pillows were made by Many Moons Alternatives here in Victoria and they sell buckwheat hulls by the lb (http://buckwheatpillows.ca/detail.php?pro_id=13)