How major manufacturers are adopting modular furniture

Modular furniture is the most recent revolution in the furniture industry. It is reinventing the concept of furniture, moving it from static design into something in a constant evolution.

In this changing scenario, manufacturers can make profit from new materials that are lighter, more sustainable and easier to work with. Among them, expanded polypropylene (EPP) provides extraordinary possibilities with an optimal cost-effectiveness ratio.

Modular furniture: definition

Modern modular furniture is a type of furniture composed of several independent pieces or modules that can be combined and rearranged in different ways according to the needs of the space and the user.

This design allows great flexibility, since users can adapt it to different environments, styles and functions. This furniture has long been made of wood or metal. Both are long lasting materials, but they have physical limitations to shape 360° furniture in a fast and affordable way.

New materials, such as EPP, empower furniture designers and manufacturers to create adaptable and affordable furniture solutions.

Why modular furniture is gaining popularity?

Life changes. So do people’s needs. Why shouldn’t furniture change too? Space, however, is often limitated. Customizable modular furniture adapts to all those changes and provides smart solutions to little space, thus making the most of space in small homes or offices.

Coworking spaces, flats for youngsters and deco lovers’ houses can profit the benefits of these space saving furniture systems.

Key benefits of modular furniture for manufacturers

Modular furniture manufacturers may benefit in several ways from these flexible furniture solutions:

Save time in manufacture

The design phase requires a great exercise of imagination, but the manufacturing phase is extremely fast and simple.

Modular solutions use to work with simple geometric shapes, not always assembled. This trend multiplies even more the efficiency during the manufacturing process.

Cost efficiency

As a consequence from that simplicity, producing modular components in bulk allows for economies of scale, reducing production costs (less labor, less screws, less glue) and material waste.

Customization 

Conventional furniture is designed to satisfy a single need. It is static, immutable and complete. The manufacturer provides a unique solution to a unique need based on a unique and appropriate design from the start to the end.

Modular compositions include a variable number of pieces to form different compositions. There is not a unique solution, but several solutions in size and shape. This flexibility provides the manufacturer with an excellent sales pitch and widens the possibilities to fit into the client’s needs.

Knauf Industries’ customization Customized solutions – Knauf Appliances

Client’s fidelity

Under the claim ‘family is always growing’, manufacturers can periodically add new components to increase, renew or modify the existing pieces.

For the manufacturer, this fact means a smart way to promote customer satisfaction and strengthen his loyalty.

Logistic benefits

A few pieces fit all customers’ needs. This allows manufacturers to streamline inventory management, reducing the need to stock a wide variety of complete furniture items.

Adaptive design

Modular is contemporary, fresh and creative. But overall, it adapts quickly to trends and changes. Manufacturers can create versatile designs that can be easily reconfigured, enabling them to respond quickly to changing consumer trends and preferences.

Wider market appeal

This fresh furniture attracts a diverse range of customers, from young professionals in small apartments to families looking for adaptable solutions. And what’s more remarkable: it opens an innovative business avenue where there is not yet much competition.

How to make a modular furniture piece

These pieces are usually based on very simple geometric structures, such as cube-shaped or rectangle-shaped blocks, multi-position shelves, or simple beds that can be ‘hidden’ to give way to a desk. In this case, you only need hinges that allow the movement of the components to attach to the new position in a simple way.

However, some collections, such as Profim’s award-winning Revo, go further and choose organic shapes and rounded contours. A design prodigy that takes modular furniture design ideas into another level of elegance.
A new level that demands a lightweight and easy to mould material. Here’s where EPP marks a big difference.

Introducing EPP for modular furniture

EPP is lightweight, easy to mould and allows an affordable serial production. This empowers manufacturers to respond quickly to the market demands.

This material can be provided in a huge range of colours to make modular shelving systems or modular furniture for commercial spaces.

Some projects, as Revo’s sofas, also admit adjustable covers in different colours and textures. These covers can be easily removed to be washed, keeping furniture nice and clean.

EPP, furniture waste and sustainability

Waste is a global problem and the furniture market is no exception. Using EPP may help to reduce waste, as it is an easy to recycle monomaterial.

At Knauf Industries we have also developed RELOOPP®, a new material made from recycled expanded polypropylene. This technology assures the same resistance and performance as virgin material, but reduces the furniture carbon footprintfingerprint.

EPP and RELOOPP® help to create sustainable modular furniture and lead to a new era of eco-friendly decoration.

Modular furniture trends in offices and homes

Smart solutions for small houses

Modular furniture for small spaces profits every square meter in a small flat thanks to its multifunction designs. These simple and creative pieces can fulfill different functions depending on the position where the user places them.

Some examples of modular furniture for small spaces are table stools, shelves that can be placed horizontally or vertically, or folding beds.

Modular home furniture solutions

When the customer changes the position of furniture, it does not respond to a need for space. Sometimes he or she is just trying to give an aesthetic dynamism to the look of a living room. With adaptable modular furniture users can have 2, 3 or even more different living rooms with the same furniture.

Guests at home? No problem: customers can add more storage capacity to a room, turning a regular table into a shelf.

Modular furniture for offices

Modern workspaces need flexibility, adaptability and an aesthetic appeal. Three key aspects that can be easily achieved with modular EPP furniture.

Some space designers talk about ‘modular office furniture trends’ meaning furniture solutions that can be easily reconfigured to accommodate changing team sizes, create collaborative areas, private workstations, or multifunctional zones without needing extensive renovations.

The future of modular furniture

Our society is not like our parents’ anymore.

There are digital nomads, remote workers, shared flats…  The market asks for affordable, lightweight and customizable furniture. EPP brings affordable modular furniture solutions to customers and opens a wide world of creativity to designers.  What’s more, being modular, consumers can replace or add pieces rather than buying a whole new piece of furniture. This trick answers recent EU normative for the right to repair (R2R Directive) and makes furniture more sustainable in the long term.

Contact our Furniture experts to optimize your design!