Nomadic Furniture: D-I-Y Projects that are Lightweight & Light on the Environment

Victor Papanek and James Hennessey set out to change the world in the mid-1970s, empowering the people to create their own inexpensive furnishings. Their books, Nomadic Furniture 1 and Nomadic Furniture 2, are reprinted here in their entirety. In their vision of home design, everything is lightweight, folds, inflates, knocks down, stacks, or is disposable. They offer simple instructions for making beds, chairs, sofas, stools, and tables, using inexpensive and recycled materials. Their ideas open up channels for creativity, as well as for saving money and lightening a household's footprint. This practical, lighthearted approach to living is certainly worth a revisit, in a world where environmental consciousness is quickly evolving.