Paper Paste Living

The Danish label Paper Paste Living designs stylish and functional home furnishings from recycled paper waste. The label is about living the idea of sustainability and making no compromises.

Paper is a beautiful and malleable material that helps create an awareness of the resources we have on our planet. At Paper Paste Living you will find laundry baskets, side tables, seating and more, made from paper waste but very strong and robust, colored with warm, water-based earth tones. Each product is truly unique and gives your home an aesthetic touch.

Paper Paste Living: Aesthetic home furnishings made from recycled paper waste

The Paper Paste Living label was founded by John Penther and Pasqual Arnella as well as Hans Thyge, who design creative and aesthetic products from recycled paper. The founders work together in the Danish design studio Hans Thyge & Co. Inspired by nature, they breathe new life into products. The team lives and works on the coast overlooking the sea, south of the city of Aarhus.

Hans Thyge's team consists of talented designers who have been creating innovative designs for various companies for over 30 years. Each design tells its story with creativity and culture and values behind it. In the creative process, the designers are constantly on the lookout for even more efficient materials. When the opportunity arose to design a full range of products from recycled paper, the studio immediately accepted the challenge. Paper Paste's iconic designs are born from the material itself, with paper's cultural heritage and significance inspiring the creative process. After the first drawings, the designers started creating 3D designs and prototypes. In close cooperation with the manufacturer, they found out which form and structure is possible. They quickly discovered that one of the most important factors is color. Paper paste is usually a dull gray, so subtle tones have been worked on as if the earth had colored the paper.

The paper used is recycled, mixed with water and without glue or chemical substances. All colors used are based on natural ingredients, so after use the product can be disposed of as organic waste or paper waste. The Paper Paste products look like fine leather or natural wood that has become stained or worn. All products are designed in an artisanal process and are never quite perfect, which is what makes Paper Paste Living products so beautiful.

Regional production and high craftsmanship

Paper Paste Living produces its products regionally in the Pasqual Arnella family business. The company has been working with paper since 1892, now in its fourth generation. Originally the company made toys and carnival masks from papier-mâché, today the family business supports Paper Paste Living in the development of its products. The recycled paper is sourced near Barcelona and shredded at Pasqual Arnella, then mixed with water. Some of the products are formed by hand.

It's always a challenge to come across new materials and learn how to use them. The wet recycled paper pulp is poured into molds like wet, liquid clay is poured into porcelain molds. After the object absorbs water from the mush, it becomes stable, allowing it to be demolded and left to dry on wooden shelves outside. The whole initial phase of Paper Paste Living was living with the material and trying to really understand it. The first prototypes were created to get feedback from the design world and show that paper pulp has great potential. The motto "Shape of Nature" is the starting point for the designs of Paper Paste Living.

The brand was born with the aim of inspiring and reconnecting with our environment, in order to create a dialogue with it. In this way, the CO² footprint is minimized at the same time. The aim is to create appealing and sustainable products to create ethical and new solutions for home decor. When you think of Shape of Nature you think of things that fit right in, it feels alive and exciting. Discover the world of Paper Paste Living and get inspired for your home!

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