Domestic

We’ve seen quite a lot of things made from carbon fibre and have seen a few baths made from the black stuff, but this portable fold up carbon fibre bathtub is indeed a first.

The bathtub is the brainchild of German designer Carina Deuschl and was created to redefine the ordinary concept of the traditional bath. When collapsed the tub weighs in at 7kgs and is just 8.5mm think.

The XTEND bathtub’s frame was made from a piece of carbon fibre which was cut into the intricate accordion pattern by using a high-pressure water jet. When extended and supported with a set of included legs a soft padded, machine washable fabric inlay is clipped into place.

The surface of the material smooths out completely once the bathtub is filled with water and once the bath or soak is done, users simply drain the water from bathtub via a pump system.

Coming in at a smidgen under £40,000 and available to buy exclusively from Harrods, the suitcase has been made entirely out of carbon fibre.

The case features a quilted leather interior, genuine crocodile trim, custom-made hangers and carbon fibre flaps enhanced by luxurious wooden inlays.The inner compartment allows garments to be hung, other unique features of the case include four custom made stress-resistant, low noise pivoting wheels and a sealing rubber to protect the zip and hand-machined solid aluminium closures.

The makers of the case describe its creation as “the first of its kind in the world and a 21st century take on a classical travel accessory”, lets just hope if you do get one, it doesn’t end up in lost luggage.

At just over 2 kgs this chair weighs a little bit less than a two litre bottle of pop and can hold the weight of a 20 stone human. The chair’s hollow frame is made by inflating an airbag between two sheets of carbon fibre, this is then processed and cured. Once the air has been removed, what you have left is a virtually indestructible carbon shell.

The designer has been researching the material properties of carbon fibre for over 10 years. In that time Young worked as a consultant for bike manufacturer Giant on a series of designs to bring the sports industry closer to the fashion world.

Young originally from Sunderland in the UK said;

The chair’s structure and form was developed as a result of working with a factory that is exceptional in creating high performance bikes. The technology is ideal for applying to the development of an exceedingly lightweight stacking chair. We wanted to design a carbon fibre chair that is truly functional and ergonomic. The material has been used economically and has been designed to rigorous technical guidelines.

The stackable chair took nearly three years to develop with premium furnishings company Coalesse and can be customised in pretty much any Pantone colour you desire.

Following on from the Hammock style bathtub, Splinter Works has expanded on its carbon fibre bathroom collection with a free-standing carbon fibre bathtub and a similarly styled wash basin.

The visually arresting curvaceous shapes have a dark magnetism, luring the eye to explore their striking contours. Conceived in woven and lacquered carbon fibre, they are also undeniably tactile, warm and inviting.

The all carbon construction means the tub weighs in at just 14 kilos (minus water and sweaty human) which means it can be easily installed and positioned in your home without the need for any structural changes.

images courtesy of splinter works ltd, all photos by:Stephane Rocher Photography

This carbon fibre Eames-style sofa is the brainchild of Michigan based designer Matthew Strong.

Mocoloco explains that the sofa has been woven to a traditional pattern using 12k carbon fibre tow, making it incredibly lightweight. Extra strength is added from the weaving pattern adding substantial strength to the design and helping with cross-bond adhesion.

The sofa’s form is based around a number of prototypes on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, these examples are made from an extruded fibreglass shell armchair that was being developed in the late 50’s

Matthew Strong speaking about his creation said;

It’s transparency lays bare its own construction methodology, and allows visual access to every part of the base, giving it an aesthetic coherence that feels both uncanny and curiously natural… Each iteration of the design was thicker than the last in order to strengthen it enough to hold multiple sitters.

The amazing Luno chair is the creation of Korean based designer Il Hoon Roh and is the result of experiments conducted by suspending carbon fibre string at different positions.

Made from carbon fibre string woven together by hand, the Luno (latin for curve) chair is the result of many experiments conducted by suspending string at various positions, the designer allowed gravity to shape the final form resulting in smooth natural curvature. To create the curves, a hexagonal shape was used on the surface, and carbon fibre strings were woven from the surface to the metal base.