SPLAT Chair thumbnail 1

SPLAT Chair

Child's Chair
2009 (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The SPLAT chair is made from recyclable and biodegradable cardboard, so that when the child grows up it can be disposed of with less impact on the environment. It is designed for fostering creativity in children, and may also be used to store art materials.

Cardboard was first used for furniture in the 1960s and '70s. At that time, cardboard furniture represented a different attitude, that of a 'throw-away culture', whereby objects in the home could be bought cheaply and disposed of in line with current trends.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleSPLAT Chair (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Cardboard, pre-formed postal tubes, printed paper, plastic
Brief description
SPLAT Chair, designed and made in London by Spinifex Eco-design, with the seat pattern by Deisa Centazzo, 2009
Physical description
A chair made from cardboard, which is left untreated. The seat has curved edges and four circular plastic bolts to hold it together at either side. It has a cover wrapped around the seat and back. This is strong white paper, printed with a colourful pattern representing artistic pastimes, with images such as paint and a pencils.
Dimensions
  • Depth: 50.4cm
  • Width: 30cm
  • Weight: 5.5kg (nifill)
Production typeMass produced
Gallery label
(01/07/2023)
SPLAT chair

Sam Morgan and Deisa Centazzo designed this child’s chair (above) to be disposable – but that’s not a bad thing in this case.

Layers of cardboard make the structure tough enough to be used for years, but when the child grows out of it, the chair breaks down in the environment.

Designers: Sam Morgan and Deisa Centazzo
Date: 2009
Location: London
Materials: Cardboard, paper, plastic
Given by Spinifex Eco-design
Museum no. B.91-2010

[Young V&A, Design Gallery, Design changes materials we use, long object label]
Splat chair
2009

This chair highlights the growing awareness of our impact on the environment.

The design studio Spinifex has consciously incorporated environmentally-friendly materials and ideas. The chair is made of biodegradable recycled cardboard so when the child grows up the seat can be disposed of without harming the environment. The design also encourages creativity with sections to hold art materials.

This chair has been designed with a special print by Deisa Centazzo for this exhibition.
Credit line
Given by Spinifex Eco-design
Object history
This object was acquired by the museum for the 2010 exhibition 'Sit Down: Seating for Kids', it was displayed as part of a chronology of children's seating. It was the final object in the timeline and was used to highlight increasing focus on the environment and sustainability in child-centred design.
Subjects depicted
Summary
The SPLAT chair is made from recyclable and biodegradable cardboard, so that when the child grows up it can be disposed of with less impact on the environment. It is designed for fostering creativity in children, and may also be used to store art materials.

Cardboard was first used for furniture in the 1960s and '70s. At that time, cardboard furniture represented a different attitude, that of a 'throw-away culture', whereby objects in the home could be bought cheaply and disposed of in line with current trends.
Collection
Accession number
B.91-2010

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Record createdAugust 3, 2010
Record URL
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