As technology advances and manufacturing processes evolve, furniture materials are no longer confined to traditional categories such as wood, metal, plastic, and glass. A wide range of new materials and upgraded traditional materials continue to emerge, opening up new possibilities for furniture design. The Shanghai International Home Expo serves as a vital platform where domestic and international home creativity converge, and it has consistently witnessed the innovative transformation of furniture materials.

Paper-based materials have become a popular furniture raw material thanks to their light weight, renewability, and excellent strength. Paper furniture is mainly divided into two categories: cardboard furniture and pulp furniture, which rely on mechanical structures and folding or interlocking techniques to ensure stability. The development of paper furniture has a long history. In 1963, British designer Murdoch designed the first commercially available paper chair, the “Circle Spot” children's chair. In 1972, Frank Gehry launched his cardboard furniture series, bringing such products into the public eye. Today, paper furniture, which champions the green and eco-friendly concept, frequently appears at major international exhibitions.

Fair-faced concrete is a premium green building material. Molded in a single pour, its surface has a simple yet grand texture, with construction joints and bolt holes giving it a unique visual character. It can be cast at room temperature, offers flexible molding, draws from widely available raw materials, and delivers excellent cost performance. It also avoids formaldehyde contamination, making it a preferred material for eco-friendly furniture. Many designers have used it to create distinctive concrete furniture pieces.

Carbon fiber was originally applied in high-end fields such as aerospace and automotive industries. It is still in the trial stage within the furniture industry, with its high cost and insufficient promotion limiting widespread adoption. However, the material boasts exceptional load-bearing capacity, light weight, and outstanding visual appeal, giving it tremendous growth potential. During production, carbon fiber is laid out according to the design and then cured through heating and pressurization. By incorporating techniques such as weaving and restructuring, designers can create innovative carbon fiber furniture that balances aesthetics with practicality.

Leveraging cutting-edge technology, liquid materials are also being used in furniture manufacturing. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in collaboration with brands and designers, has developed a rapid liquid printing technology that completes printing within a gel medium. The raw material hardens through a chemical reaction, eliminating the need for layer-by-layer processing and largely overcoming gravity constraints. This technology is compatible with various liquid industrial raw materials and offers production efficiency far exceeding that of traditional 3D printing—a complex tabletop can be produced in just 28 minutes, significantly advancing customized furniture production.

Wood-polymer composites (WPCs) represent the upgraded evolution of traditional materials. Composed of 60% wood and 40% thermoplastic materials, the raw components can be replaced with agricultural and forestry waste such as hemp or rice husks. The material is 100% recyclable, and its production process releases no formaldehyde. It is moisture and mold resistant, resistant to discoloration, and has excellent flame-retardant properties, making it highly suitable for outdoor furniture manufacturing.

New materials and new processes continue to expand the boundaries of furniture design, providing designers with vast creative space and giving rise to more innovative furniture with novel styles and diverse functions.

Source: jxcat