Cardboard-style bed sheets by Snurk

Sleeping under cardboard boxes is a longtime cliche behavior of persons without a home. So it is comedic, controversial or artistic to render this default choice a conscious design strategy? Whatever your opinion, these cardboard-style bedsheet designs are remarkably lifelike from a distance – making even the most elegant bed appear to be covered in recycled and tattered scraps thrown together.

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cardboard-style sheets top view

As it turns out, these are 100% cotton and incredibly comfortable underneath the appearance. And if you aren’t sure about the statement being made: the artist/designer of these unusual sheets donates a portion of the proceeds to help his young fellows in the Netherlands who are indeed homeless.

Cardboard-style sheets detail

Snurk’s response to the controversy made it clear they enjoyed the publicity.

Via ABC News:

“To the people and press of Sweden,” begins a statement posted today on the Facebook page for Snurk, the Amsterdam-based home-furnishing company behind the “Le-Clochard” line of bedding, named with the French word for “bum.”

“We are very glad to hear that our Le-Clochard bedding is raising so much attention with the Swedish press, because this was one of the goals when we created the bed sheets,” the statement continued.  “We are sorry to hear however, that so many reactions are negative.”

cardboard-style sheets insulting

Snurk co-founders Peggy van Neer and Erik van Loo created the design four years ago to fight homelessness by supporting the Dutch Foundation for Homeless Youngsters (SZN) with a portion of proceeds from sales of the bedding, the statement explained.

Snurk said it had partnered with homeless charities in England, Belgium and Germany in similar arrangements.

“In France the project was also misunderstood,” said the statement. “Perhaps it’s a cultural thing? We see good in the controversy of combining soft, warm sheets with harsh reality of sleeping on the streets. … [i]t will confront the person that sleeps under it every night, reminding them of how fortunate they are.”

The Le-Clochard page on Snurk’s website says, “Sleep on the street so a homeless youngster doesn’t have to.”