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Furniture design

WooSeok Lee’s Revolve Stool is an origami-inspired paper stool

Inspired by the ancient art of Japanese paper folding, the Revolve Stool uses humble materials to create a striking piece of furniture.

The Revolve stool uses a single sheet of paper and can endure most people’s weight thanks to its folded structural geometry.

Korean design student WooSeok Lee developed the design with Seoul-based sustainable design studio Grapelab.

The paper stool formed part of the studio’s brand exhibition, which focused on the potential of recycled paper.

Revolve Stool was the main object showing the concept of waste based paper’s potential in a visible and physical way. 

The Revolve Stool uses a traditional paper folding technique known as ‘mountain-valley’, which gives the seat a concertina effect.

This required a time-intensive process of trial and error in which Soo experimented with various structures to create the stool.

Paper stool _ Revolve Stool by WooSeok Lee (7)

“With paper prototyping, I could find out the proper angle and length of the structure that can endure our seats,” he explains.

“First I needed to mark the lines to clearly fold the paper into its shape and then fold carefully to try not to damage the paper.”

The stool comes in two models: a regular and a mini size, which Soo has created using different coloured paper including yellow, pink, green, blue and beige. 

Revolve paper stool: paper furniture is a modern must-have

Paper and cardboard are emerging as trending materials for 2022, bringing us ever-closer to a sustainable design world.

We first noticed it at the Tokyo Olympics where beds were made from recycled cardboard.

Now it seems designers worldwide are working to create durable, sustainable, and stylish pieces to reshape the modern home.

Paper stool _ Revolve Stool by WooSeok Lee

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