3D printing is as popular as ever, reaching spheres beyond design and home decor. For the last decade, the technology got so sophisticated, we can now print human ears and parts of a skull. Furniture would seem like nothing compared to that if it wasn’t so intricate and imaginative.

However, 3D printed furniture and accessories are more than interesting to look at. Its practicality and decorative qualities are simply undeniable. Take a look!

Accessibility

IKEA

Many furniture are not so friendly to people with disabilities. To remedy this, IKEA Israel teamed up with nonprofits Milbat and Access Israel to develop ThisAbles, a line of 3D printed add-ons for IKEA furniture. The 3D printing files are free to download, but you’ll need to find a way to print them via your own printer or a 3D printing service such as FacFox. Detailed instructions for assembly are also available on its website.

Adaptive Device Carousel

This 3D printed carousel allows people with limited mobility in their hands to pick up items independently. The carousel allows for 6 items to be placed on it. It can be attached to a countertop with a clamp. The carousel rotates so that each device can be easily removed and returned when finished. Check out the brief demo below to see it in use.

You can find the Adaptive Device Carousel on Thingiverse.

Aesthetics

HAY

HAY was founded in 2002 with the ambition to create contemporary furniture that uses sophisticated industrial manufacturing to satisfy the needs of modern living. They offer 2D and 3D files of all their classical design for download. The 3D models are FREE for everyone in interior design and visualization. Also, the models can be 3D printed after some adjustments.

Joris Laarman

Bringing a touch of poetry into the digital era, Dutch designer Laarman and his team don’t just harness the latest technologies but invent their own systems in order to make works that combine science-fiction, narrative, and aesthetics. His curvaceous design of ‘Heat Wave Radiator’ considered how heat is transmitted but came with plenty of Rococo-inspired spins. His ‘Dragon’ bench and ‘Makerchairs’ also show how he graduated from revolutionary domestic design projects to collaborate with material and build specialists on a massive scale.

Ollé Gellért

Hungarian industrial designer Ollé Gellért tried to create a set of joints that can be printed at home and can be used to construct objects & furniture that can be definitely put to use. The idea is not a moonshot, but a clear realization of where the furniture industry could be going in the future because of the steep price decline of 3D home printers.

Eric Klarenbeek

Designer Eric Klarenbeek has 3D printed a chair using living fungus, which then grows inside the structure to give it strength. The Mycelium Chair was printed using a mixture of water, powdered straw and mycelium, which is the thread-like part of a fungus that lives underground. The mycelium grew within the structure, replacing the water and creating a solid but extremely lightweight material. Mushrooms began sprouting on the surface, at which point Klarenbeek dried out the structure to prevent further growth.

Kai Bracher

3D sculptor Kai Bracher has designed a series of dragon door handles and then shrinked the size into cabinet and drawer handles. The exquisite handles are printed in polished nickel steel. Join his Kickstarter project here.

DXV

DXV, The first commercially-available residential faucets created with additive manufacturing. Masterful designs offer an exclusive, luxury faucet experience and collection with industry-leading and innovative approach to manufacturing. Pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Elevating the experience of everyday living.