The pleats and folds we are accustomed to seeing in clothing have come to furniture and other products. Dutch designer Floris Wubben’s Bench No. 3 brings to furniture what Issey Miyake has done with his Pleats Please line of couture clothing, and for his Cabbage Chair for Nendo.

If you already don’t know Outdoorz Gallery, run by Deborah Sommers & Beth Boutry in Paris, check it out for the latest artist-designed contemporary outdoor furniture, many of which is made to order, including the Bench No. 3. I get so excited when I see their newsletter in my inbox!

One of designer Issey Miyake’s “Pleats Please” dresses

Other designers have experimented in and produced furniture incorporating interesting folds, twists, and pleats. I came across the site Pleat Farm, which has an amazing collection of pleated furniture and objects. In their words, the site is a “design pasture showcasing the latest in apparel, textiles, architecture, furniture, paper art and product design, with a focus on innovative material applications such as folding, bending and knotting.”

Eerang Park’s Metal Bloom Chair constructed of eight folded steel plates in circle at 35° angle. The designer makes these custom upon request. You can contact her via her Facebook page.

Nook Stool by Patrick Frey is made from VarioLine® plastic.

Glowing through the folds, below, with this Christmas tree lantern…

Christmas Tree Lantern by Hugon Kowalski of UGO Architecture and Design.

The TLF03ALU chair, by Tobias Labarque is folded from a single sheet of perforated aluminum.

Dutch designer Beerd van Stokkum gives new life to the classic cup cake liners with his line of Sweet Cake containers.

Artechnica’s Stretch bag is made from recycled billboards! Using no glue, the no stitch shoulder bag is “inspired by the strength and symmetry found in nature.” Part of the proceeds from the bag go to charity.

The Corogami Folding Hut

Architect David Penner’s Corogami Folding Hut (the name is a blend of  coroplast + origami) is a collapsible public warming spot for ice skaters. The folding structure is constructed with laminated twinwall polypropylene and brass paper fasteners. Clever.

Want to Make Your Own?

Spotted on Design Milk, this origami furniture set encourages the inner  artist and architect in all of us.

You can find it at Fred Flare. (For you fashion folks, there are origami clothes too.)