We've all seen them: homes assembled from cardboard boxes on the sidewalks of cities worldwide. Sometimes we even catch a glimpse of their residents, sheathed in dirt-encrusted clothes or maybe old newspapers, holding down their makeshift forts.

It's an unfortunate existence, yet its aesthetic has inspired a new line of bedding products from a company based in the UK. Dutch By Design has just released sheets, comforters, duvet covers and pillowcases designed to look like cardboard boxes and old cinderblocks. While 30-percent of the gross profits from the line go to a charity for homeless youth and young adults in the UK, and the company claims the line is meant to raise awareness of the problem of homelessness, the idea of well-heeled Britons snoozing away in faux trash will surely strike some as utterly offensive.

Centerpointe, the charity that benefits from the new bedding, is also sponsoring a "sleepout" on November 12th, when those with beds will forego them for one night and sleep on the streets. Now that's raising awareness. Are the sheets doing the same thing, or are they just obscuring the problem with bad-taste fashion?

[Image: Dutch By Design]