Mar 14, 2017 | By Tess

If you are a Manhattanite or a visitor to the Big Apple, you might make a point to pass through Midtown Manhattan to see what’s brewing, or should I say printing, at the new Print the Future pop-up shop. Open until March 31, the Print the Future shop is displaying all sorts of amazing 3D printed designer furniture.

Print the Future is an initiative dedicated to advancing and proliferating 3D printed furniture and interior design. Based out of Vancouver, the startup is working to both get designers working with 3D printing to make pieces that are functional and beautiful, and to get these pieces into the hands of consumers. In launching its Manhattan pop-up shop, Print the Future is hoping to put 3D printed design and furniture on the map in a big way, demonstrating to all what can be achieved with 3D printing.

The shop features a number of different pieces, including stools, armchairs, and even a divan, all of which are made with 3D printing technology. The shop also has a functioning 3D printer on display, so clients can see the machine working away, building up new designer objects layer-by-layer.

The New York pop-up shop is only one piece of the puzzle, however, as Print the Future already has online operations as well as a presence in Sweden and Germany. The pop-up shop is serving as a model for its ultimate plan to open retail stores in a number of major cities, including New York. The idea is that customers can come into the shops not only to buy 3D printed pieces but to collaborate and work with designers for custom, one-of-a-kind pieces, which they can then order and pick up after printing.

To realize their goal, the team behind Print the Future is first going to focus on offering affordable customized 3D printed furniture (ranging between $500 and $1,500), which clients can receive within just 24 hours. How is this possible, you might be asking. Well, Print the Future is hoping to capitalize on a growing trend within the logistics business, of ordering pieces made half way across the world and having them 3D printed locally, cutting down on delivery time and costs, as well as reducing the environmental impact.

Neil Patel, founder and CEO of Print the Future, also started Kabuni, an online platform that brings interior designers and clients together. The Kabuni community will serve as a useful network to base the new business on. “By connecting you with world-renowned designers, Print the Future lets you select and build customized pieces of furniture and beautiful home goods delivered faster than it takes for paint to dry,” the company writes.

As 3D printing technologies become faster and more accurate, and as the number of materials that can be printed with grows, Print the Future’s idea is one we could really see taking off, especially as consumers are increasingly seeking out affordable and customized goods.

Posted in 3D Design

Maybe you also like:











