Rustic Pokemon TCG Box

My upcycling project is focused on an opulent Pokémon TCG deck box. Specifically, I used black acrylic to show the high-level feel that would come from opulence (think a nice grand piano). The accent colors for the design on the front were metallic/pearl colors to elevate the grandeur feel of the box. The design itself features a lot of complex geometric shapes to finish of the aesthetic.

The opposite of this aesthetic would be a rustic Pokémon TCG deck box. While I brainstormed how this would look, I decided to look into existing boxes that follow the rustic aesthetic. I started looking at existing Pokémon products for inspiration. One product that really caught my eye was a Pokémon TCG box that was released about 5 years ago. This box was made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the franchise, and exhibits the natural materials and coloring that come with a rustic aesthetic. This official box made it clear that the acrylic I used in the opulent box would not be a great fit for a rustic box.

Ultra Pro Pokémon 25th Anniversary Wooden Finish Deck Box (PokeGuardian)

While an official Pokémon box in a wooden finish checks a lot of boxes for the rustic aesthetic, I wanted to keep looking into more options with color. I came across two different ways color was incorporated with the wood to create different types of a rustic aesthetic. The first one was this seashore style box. While this box also uses wood, the coloring uses sky blue tones along with a natural wear to it. The blues and whites used here could be used together for coloring a design on the front of a rustic TCG box. The rope handle and starfish detail make me think that a rustic TCG box could have 3D decoration/design.

Rectangle Wood Handmade Distressed Starfish Box with Knotted Rope Details (Home Depot)

The second way I saw color incorporated in a rustic box was a wooden box that has a plant inside of it. This box doesn’t necessarily have color on it, but the mix with the plant makes for such a great contrast. Having a design on the front with green and natural shapes would fit a rustic aesthetic.

Rustic Wood Nesting Crates (Amazon)

After looking through some examples, I came up with a concept of how I would design to this aesthetic instead. Instead of using acrylic, I would have looked for any type of wood to make the box out of. Cherry wood might be a good option for this, especially with how it changes color as it ages in the sunlight, giving a more natural tone. Instead of using metallic and pearl colors for the design, I would have opted for more earthy colors. If it was a general box, I would keep it with the brown colors given by the wooden material. One idea that came to mind was matching the coloring to the Pokémon type. For water types, using sky blue tones along with light earthy browns would fit. For grass types, using different green tones would match. The design on the front of the box would use more natural forms and shapes instead of the geometric shapes of the current design. Below is some sketched ideas on how this would look.

Concept for different designs for a rustic Pokémon box.

References:

1. Ultra Pro Pokémon 25th Anniversary Wooden Finish Box, PokeGuardian, https://www.pokeguardian.com/679454_ultra-pro-pokemon-25th-anniversary-wooden-finish-deck-box-revealed
2. Starfish Box, Home Depot, https://www.homedepot.com/p/Litton-Lane-Rectangle-Wood-Handmade-Distressed-Starfish-Box-with-Knotted-Rope-Details-Set-of-2-78765/303140336
3. Rustic Wood Nesting Crates, Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/TIMRIS-Nesting-Farmhouse-Container-Decorative/dp/B0BRTCQWCB?th=1