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I’ve had allergies since preschool, so wipes have been a constant companion throughout my stupid little life. I have a vivid memory of a sleepover at Miceli Hills in Woodland, New Jersey, in sixth grade, when another girl in the class suddenly burst into tears—unlike her friends, who were clearly not prepared for the emotions associated with finding their child. . child. Jersey Devil, I stashed a pack of tissues in my fanny pack and handed her some sheets so she could dry her puffy eyes. Look closely at the background of my childhood photos and you will see a decorative tissue box that my mother specially placed in our home. (She currently favors a cover of Mackenzie Childs’ “Courthouse Check.”)
Kleenex wipes were invented nearly a century ago, but the category continues to be ignored in the home decor world. Back in 2010, The New York Times reported that brands like Kleenex were paying more attention to the design aesthetics of their products: “Though the purpose of most packaging is to attract attention on the shelf and move the product from the manufacturer to the retailer. product throughout its lifespan, facial tissue packaging can serve as a dispenser throughout the product’s lifecycle and be placed prominently in the home.”
Abigail Campbell is currently reselling a line of vintage tissue boxes for $25 to $45. After seeing slipcovers frequently when shopping for decorations, she began adding them to her inventory, but “wasn’t sure people were ready for this level of bathroom nostalgia” from the 1960s to the 1990s. Abigail’s father was an avid auction enthusiast, and she grew up in what she calls “a very eclectic house, full of antiques from all over the world,” but interesting tissue boxes weren’t a big part of her adult life. “I gave in and started putting things together for the store because I couldn’t resist the colors and shapes,” she said. “If you carry around a tissue box, it doesn’t hurt to add a cute vintage cover to it!”
Since 2018, Dusen Dusen has truly been saving our lives with its Everyday tissue box cover. (This design originally debuted at the Fredericks and May show for $275 and was then licensed to Areaware, which has since made the product for $35.) For those looking for a more luxurious experience, Edie Parker once offered an acrylic box for napkins. Cover price: $495. For all the minimalists who like to keep things a little understated, the Formwork tissue box from Herman Miller is simple.
Only recently have artists like Susan Alexandra, Jasmine Archie of Pretty Shitty Cakes and Joanna Fields released whimsical versions full of personality. In March this year, Isa Beniston of Gentle Thrills commissioned Joanna to transform an ordinary plastic tissue box into a fantastic piece of art. “I’m glad this object exists in the world,” she said. “I liked the idea of really highlighting this object that would otherwise be overlooked.”
As someone who both creates art and collects wacky items for her home, Joanna is keenly aware of the influx of interest in home goods since the start of the pandemic. She added: “Especially when you live in the city, when you live in an apartment, every little thing has a certain weight because it takes up space and we don’t have a lot of space. It’s nice to think about it more and even have options for things like tissue box holders.” This particular product category reminds her of something you’d find at a thrift store—her ultimate fantasy. Someone in the future will come across one of her things. dust at a flea market.
Susan felt compelled to bead the tissue boxes because she loves to “take care of any hidden spots in the market.” She will also be introducing a number of new designs in the coming months; A beaded toilet paper holder is also in the works. Although Susan didn’t blow her nose with tissues as a child (she preferred toilet paper), she’s excited about the resurgence of tissue boxes that scream “allergy season fashion.”
“If you think about it, paper towels are a luxury item,” Susan said. “These are pre-cut into perfect soft squares that won’t hurt your nose! They deserve the throne we built for them.” Packaging has been underdeveloped, she says, because “paper towels haven’t traditionally been seen as colorful.” Susan added, “I’m here to say it’s time for change and awareness in the world of personal paper, one beaded tissue box at a time!” Joanna believes the lack of decorative holders for tissue boxes is because they are needed by a niche. “I don’t know what the real demand is for something like this, so I’m hesitant to make more… I make them myself and they’re so labor intensive,” she explained. “Only a certain type of person would want something like that.”
But Abigail believes the global shift in sustainability is a strong incentive for tissue companies to start developing reusable or reusable paper napkins to reduce the waste of single-use decorative tissue boxes. Considering that paper towels were once called the “handkerchiefs of health,” it makes sense that in a post-pandemic world we’d be craving fancier options. As Susan says, “Everything in your life and home should feel special and make you feel good, whether it’s the purse you carry with you or the container you keep on top of your tissue box.”
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Post time: Jun-04-2024