Yona – Futuristic and Sustainable Bedroom Furniture!  

Driven by their shared experience of the hassles of furniture relocation during multiple moves between apartments and shared houses, founders of Yona furniture knew there was a better way to live a minimal, yet sustainable life with furniture.  

The hardest and riskiest piece of furniture to move is always the bed. Not only because it’s bulky and in most cases requires deconstruction, but also because it can damage the walls in the hustle of moving it through narrow foyers and doorways! 

The founders of Yona wanted to create something that was portable and takes away these challenges of moving beds across properties and brings relief to those struggling with this problem.  

This is how the Yona bed was invented, with the aim of moving simply and living sustainably. 

The Yona beds are predominantly made of recycled cardboard, ethically sourced with original paper fibers from sustainable forestry. This balance allows them to create products that are strong and robust enough to stand the test of time.  

The Brief 

An emerging wave of young entrepreneurs are driving innovation in retail and e-commerce and prioritising sustainability. In seeking a reliable and innovative partner, PPI was the perfect choice due to our expertise in designing sustainable cardboard packaging.  

Yona wanted a sustainable solution that was efficient, easy to assemble and could withstand structural challenges throughout its lifecycle. 

The cardboard used for the furniture needed to be strong and durable enough to withstand long term durability and use. Similarly, the cardboard used for the packaging needed to be strong enough to protect the product during transit. To achieve their environmental goals, Yona was also looking for sustainable solutions for both their products and packaging. 

The Solution 

We carried out extensive research prior to commencing the work on this project. Followed by developing prototypes to test and enhance the structural integrity of cardboard.  

We used a range of different manufacturing techniques and bonding agents.  

Finally, a remarkably robust engineered cardboard was created to support heavy loads over a prolonged period of use. 

We spent over 100 design hours, to collaboratively finalise this design. A true partnership was formed between PPI and Yona while workshopping for this project.  

Yona was won over by PPI’s demonstration of how cardboard, which proved to be surprisingly strong and durable, could be used to create furniture that lasts! 

Additionally, there were some challenges around shipping consideration and quality assurance throughout the logistics journey. We provided every attention and support throughout the development of the product and packaging to ensure it’s a true success in the market! 

The Result 

PPI has always been willing to undertake unconventional projects and see them through to completion and beyond. We paid great attention to the details that this project required. We have a lot of experience in working with cardboard and how to make it handle a large load, which came in handy during this project.  

We leveraged our manufacturing experience, closely working with our client’s team to incorporate the best insights and brainstorm a successful solution together. 

The final design aligns with the brand’s emphasis on sustainability and recyclability. All materials used are clean and chemical-free.  

A bespoke product like no other in the furniture market – Yona’s cardboard bed base is innovative and fully customised. With easy set up and no tools required, in with less than minutes to put it together, you have a sturdy cardboard bed.   

The product is bound toward growth and international market opportunity, proudly representing cardboard design expertise from Australia on a global level.  

Our experience of working with Yona was positive throughout, we enjoyed the collaborative partnership and combined focus on achieving the specific goals for the product.