IKEA’s Design Lab Has Created A Flat-Pack Couch That Can Fit In An Envelope

When you imagine a couch, you’ll probably think of a chunky two- or three-seater that’s practically anchored to the floor until you decide to replace it. Well, be prepared to have this structure in your head restructured. SPACE10, IKEA’s experimental design and research lab, has created a unit that’s so portable, it can be fitted into an envelope and carried around by a single person.

Not only that, but the unit is envisioned to be easy to assemble, modular, and fully recyclable too. You know, things that are hardly ever associated with a couch.

Together with multidisciplinary design studio Panter&Tourron, SPACE10 has dreamed up the Couch in an Envelope, a conceptual kit imagining the couch of the future. And as with numerous experiments today, this project involved the touch of generative artificial intelligence, something that SPACE10 has openly dabbled with.

AI, as it turns out, clings onto preconceptions that couches are heavy, bulky, cushioned, and unyielding. Of course it does. The core, deep-seated idea of a couch has barely changed through the years.

To circumvent these stereotypes, Panter&Tourron fed the AI art generator with descriptors like “platform,” “lightweight,” “sustainable,” “recyclable,” and “easy to move.”

This was a breakthrough; guided by these prompts, the AI conjured up modern couch designs that were finally compact, adaptable, and friendly for the environment.

But why fix something that seemingly isn’t broken? The traditional features of this furniture type—like its solid form and comfort—are also why it’s hurting the planet. Transporting these sizable pieces is energy- and emissions-intensive. Plus, their parts aren’t made to be recycled, resulting in a horde of waste piling up in landfills.

“This project began as a way to challenge problematic design archetypes. The couch, as we know it today, is a complicated and high-maintenance piece of furniture; to find and to move,” details Georgina McDonald, who manages Creative & Partnerships at SPACE10, in a press release. “However beloved it is, the couch is often a strain on people owing to its weight, the planet due to its design intricacies, and a burden on the friends who generously help us to move.”

“The project is an agenda for change, inspiring the design community to move further towards a couch that is better for us—and the planet.”

Sitting on something special

Cue the absurdly flat-pack Couch in an Envelope, which is light enough to be toted around as it weighs only 10 kilograms (22 pounds). You can set it up on your own—or, if you have really incredible friends to help you move into a new space, you can rest assured they won’t struggle with lugging the couch up the stairs (no screaming of “PIVOT!” either).

The visionary couch is modular, with adjustable ‘wings’ that support various home needs and the ability to join it with other flat-pack couches.

Constructed with aluminum and plant-based materials like cellulose fabrics and yarns, and mycelium foam, the Couch in an Envelope is 100% circular and recyclable.

The visionary couch is also screwless and requires no tools, making it convenient to disassemble it, pack it up, and recycle it. Thanks to its ease of travel, owners will more likely hold on to the couch when they move to a new home.

A lean, mean, compact machine

Of course, its flat-pack nature means you can easily fold the flexible furniture for storage. This flexible structure makes transportation easy for logistics personnel, as well, who can just stack multiple couches on a single pallet and fit more units in warehouse storage.

“Comfort is primarily the main requirement when designing a couch, which can compromise durability and sustainability. We wanted to simplify the material composition, prioritize weight, disassembly and circularity,” explains Stefano Panterotto, designer and co-founder of Panter&Tourron.

“We’ve envisaged something that’s 100% recyclable, without sacrificing softness. Couch in an Envelope is a new generation of comfort.”

[via SPACE10, images courtesy and featured with permission]