Inflatable furniture isn’t a new idea. Tents and guest rooms everywhere are filled with air-filled mattresses. But none of them look like designer Seungjin Yang’s inflatable pieces, which are created using the same balloons a birthday party clown relies on to entertain screaming children.
The designer’s Blowing series is the most practical take on balloon animals yet, eschewing giraffes and puppies for chairs, stools, footrests, and even a tiny sofa.
Yang’s creations don’t just look the part, though. After they’re inflated and assembled, they’re coated in eight layers of epoxy resin — basically clear glue that dries super hard. This makes them strong enough to use as actual furniture.
And you don’t have to worry about keeping pins, nails, and other pointy objects at bay — those eight layers of epoxy will hold their shape even if the balloons entombed inside happen to pop. They’re probably even more durable than the living room set you bought at IKEA, and before being inflated, they’re certainly a lot easier to get home on the subway.
[Seungjin Yang via designboom]
Images via seungjinyang.com