One thing none of the books tell you about having your first kid is the amount of cardboard that comes with. This has an appealing corollary, of course, as in all the necessaries received as gifts that come inside said boxes. Much appreciated, of course, but it still leaves the potential recyclables to contend with. All this might seem off topic, yet it's all very much apropos of the amazing Cardboard Table by Santiago Morahan of Diseño Cartonero.

Cardboard Coffee Table. Designed by Santiago Morahan. Manufactured by Diseño Cartonero.

Diseño Cartonero's Recycled Cardboard Table is Equal Parts Green and Brown

Given that brown seems to be the default color of cardboard, it's no surprise that Morahan's clever table sports the same lovely shade. That might sound mundane, but the designer's facility with forming and pressing this recycled material deeds it a surprisingly lovely aesthetic.

In fact, Diseño Cartonero's Cardboard Table resembles nothing so much as wooden laminate, complete with contrasting and complementary grains, with all the beauteous imperfections that would characterize actual wood.

The good news is that no trees were felled to facilitate Morahan's take on the coffee table. Every inch of its intriguingly mottled surface originates in something once used to cover up or protect or transport something else, sourced by Morahan via the resilient "Cartoneros," (cardboard collectors) of Entre Rios in Northeast Argentina.

The table-which also doubles as a magazine rack or desk-is thus sourced locally of 100% recycled materials. Morahan offers the Cartoneros top dollar for their product, meaning Diseño Cartonero is a big booster of the local economy.

And as you can see from the accompanying detail shots, the consequent product is quite attractive, not to mention extremely durable and lightweight. All in all, not too shabby for something pieced together from what most of the rest of the world calls trash.

Via TreeHugger.

About the Designer: Santiago Morahan of Diseño Cartonero makes eco-friendly, 100% recyled and recyclable products. By sourcing his material from local "cartoneros," Morahan is able to help the local economy while simultaneously creating durable, functional, and eminently utilitarian product: "Every product made is unique and not repeated, with its creator's impressions on each and every one of them, which therefore makes every object not only a design one, but artistic as well."