Tag Archives: lampshade

This gorgeous Umbrella-inspired lampshade can be opened or closed to adjust brightness

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A worthy winner of last year’s Tyvek Design Awards, the Wagasa Lamp has a beautiful design and an even more alluring interaction that lets you adjust the lamp’s brightness. Taking inspiration from the shape of an umbrella or parasol, the lamp comes with a shade made from flexible Tyvek fabric (developed by DuPont) attached to wooden rods. The lamp can be unfurled or shut like an umbrella, exposing or enclosing the empty space within, which increases or decreases the amount of light that makes its way out of the lamp. This unique interaction gives the Wagasa Lamp just one of those beautiful user experiences that makes it an instant crowd favorite – but even more importantly, the lamp’s innately Asian/Japanese aesthetic makes it a wonderful inclusion in any minimalist or oriental-themed home!

Designer: Solenn Roch

The Wagasa lamp’s design comprises just two materials outside the lamp’s bulb and electrical housing. You’ve got the Tyvek shade, made of two sheets of the synthetic paper-like material, and a wooden structure that holds the Tyvek shades up, allowing you to adjust their position. “The translucent Dupont Tyvek material diffuses light softly, creating a warm atmosphere,” mentions Swiss-based Solenn Roch.

The design is almost identical to the kind of umbrellas found in cocktails and drinks, and operates the same way too. Here, a threaded base lets you rotate a knob to adjust the open-ness or closed-ness of the umbrella, while the outer umbrella cone’s width helps determine the lamp’s brightness. When completely opened/horizontal, the lamp allows much more light to filter outwards from the top and bottom, diffusing wonderfully through the Tyvek shade. Close it, however, and the conical area decreases, also closing the empty space inside the lamp to create a smaller illuminating area. The controls aren’t precise, but they’re fun as heck, and you’ll find yourself constantly reaching for the rotating knob to show off the lamp to your guests!

The current prototype is made out of 3D-printed plastic parts, although Solenn hopes to make a version out of natural wood soon.

The beauty of the Wagasa lamp lies entirely in its simplicity and playfulness. In a lot of ways, principally, it works quite similar to the IKEA PS 2014 Pendant Lamp, but while that lamp allures with its uniquely faceted pattern, this one is just a call-back to a simpler time, coupled with a wonderfully Eastern-themed minimalist aesthetic.

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Terrazzo lampshade casts a refreshing glow thanks to recycled plastic

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We all look to lamps and other lighting fixtures not just to illuminate but also to set an atmosphere, but most of the time it isn’t the light itself that creates this effect. More often than not, it’s the lampshade, shield, or any other material that reflects, refracts, and diffuses the light in interesting and sometimes mesmerizing ways that can dazzle and even affect our moods. Most of the time, those lamp shields are made of glass, metal, or plastic, but there are other, more interesting alternatives available. This particular design, for example, not only uses a sustainable material, it also gives it a distinctive spin that makes not only the shade but also the light it throws a sight to behold.

Designer: Fuhua Wang, Weichih Chen

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It’s not uncommon these days to see recycled plastics being used for design, and a particularly big source is ocean-bound plastic, including PET bottles, bags, and more. Most of the time, the pellets produced from breaking down plastic material are colored to match the requirements of a specific design, but the Ondina sustainable pendant lighting preserves some of the properties of the properties of plastic materials to create a more interesting appearance.

The result is a material that looks similar to terrazzo that is often used in tiles for flooring and walls. The small bits and pieces of color give the translucent blue layer some vibrancy, though it could also be a representation of the pollution that litters the oceans. Coincidentally, or perhaps intentionally, the lamp shield actually has a wavy shape, not unlike the waves of bodies of water.

The pendant lamp itself is actually pretty simple, just an LED aluminum tube hanging from a ceiling by its two ends. The lamp shade is placed some distance above the tube, giving ample space for the light to diffuse and spread rather than being reflected directly by the material. This creates a bluish glow not only around the lamp but also on the ceiling as it passes through the translucent shield. The color is soft and calming, even with a pure white LED, but it also still reflects enough of that bright light so that the lamp functions as more than just a mood lamp, sufficiently illuminating the space around it.

Every part of Ondina is designed to be sustainable and extensible, applying the lamp shade to more than just a pendant lamp. It can be used for wall or floor lamps as well, just with some modification of the design. More importantly, the simple components make it trivial to replace parts that are broken, prolonging the life of the product and preventing it from adding to the waste already swimming in our waters.

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Martin Liberty table lamps bring stunning beauty and luxury with intricate floral fabrics

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Lamps do more than just bring light into a space, especially if they are always in your view. They can make or break the ambiance of your room just by how they look, whether they match the rest of your interior or stand out like a sore thumb. And then there are designs that call attention to themselves on their own, raising the atmosphere of your living area to new heights. Nothing does that better than a lamp specifically made with luxurious materials and intricate details, just like these eye-catching table lamps that add a touch of class in any space with shades that put a small canopy of flowers over soft, warm lights.

Designer: Inga Sempe (HAY x Liberty)

These beautiful table lamps combine two designs that have already stood the test of time and design trends. The Matin Lamp is a contemporary interpretation of a common lighting fixture, utilizing a steel wire frame to condense the form to its most basic. At the same time, however, its unique pleated lampshade gives it a distinctive character to the product, creating a play of shapes and shadows that contrast with its plain block of color.

The Matin Liberty rendition of the table lamp, however, swaps out those uniform hues with highly detailed patterns that have become a signature of the luxury department store’s fabrics. The fabrics give off a harmonious contrast of order and chaos with repeating patterns that were seemingly formed from a spray of flowers, petals, and leaves. It’s a mesmerizing visual that has made Liberty a luxury icon when it comes to fabrics, which is being applied to these already luxurious lamps in an interesting way.

Combining the pleated form of the original Matin Lamp lampshade with the cotton fabrics of Liberty creates this unique visual experience that easily draws your attention to it but doesn’t become overbearing or tiring. It even shapes the lamp’s light in a different way, depending on the hue of the floral patterns. Lighter colors further diffuse the soft light coming from the LED bulb, while darker shades focus the light downward like a directional lamp. This makes each lamp deliver a different experience, whether through its visual pattern or lighting effect.

The Matin Liberty Table Lamp brings a fusion of elegance and fashion wherever they’re set up. It can act either as a statement piece on its own or as a complement to floral patterns on your wall or upholstery. It definitely gives a different vibe from other lamps, even luxurious ones, that is sure to make you the talk and envy of your social circles.

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Transforming lampshade uses a neat trick to change the way light flows

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Most lighting that hangs from above shines its light downward for practical reasons. Some might emit light in all directions, particularly pendant lamps or chandeliers that come in spherical forms. Either way, most lamps like these have a fixed way of shining light on matters, literally, and there aren’t many options for you to change the way they work. Lamps that can change their direction do exist, but they often look more like stage props rather than aesthetic parts of your home. Once in a while, we do come across a design so creative and unconventional that you can’t help but marvel at how it was conceptualized, like this oddly-named lampshade design that can practically change how a lamp functions by changing where its light goes.

Designer: Lukas Bazle

Traditional lampshades come as truncated cones, with a large opening at the bottom to spread its light downward as much as possible. There is some light that does get out of the top, but it’s very minimal to the point of being negligible. For hanging or pendant lamps, that’s the most optimal design, but it also leaves very little room for flexibility and variety, especially when trying to change the intensity of the light.

One could always use a dimmer, of course, but Meduse, probably named after jellyfish and not the mythical monster, does the same in a rather curious way. It practically changes the shape of the shade from an upright cone to a barrel to an upside-down cone, which also has the effect of changing the direction of the light. And depending on how closed or opened the aperture is, it can also change the intensity of the light that goes through.

What makes this design particularly interesting is the material and structure used to make this happen. It uses a honeycomb blind wrapped around to form a complete loop, creating an accordion-like structure that switches its shape depending on how compressed or expanded the ends are. An alternating pulley system tightens one end and loosens the other in a movement that is smooth and mesmerizing, almost like watching a jellyfish move in the water.

The end result is a lamp that can shine brightly over a table or room at one moment and then project its light to the roof with a simple pull of the string. The former creates a functional space, while the latter enriches the ambiance of that same space. The rather ingenious design can easily change the mood in a room without having to resort to complicated mechanisms or electronics, creating a simple yet beautiful shape that adds both functionality and visual appeal to any room.

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This sustainable 100% mycelium lampshade was grown into its unique shape in just 5 weeks

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We can grow our own food, sometimes we grow our furniture too, and now Estonia-based Myceen is paving the way for being able to even grow your own lampshades! Unveiled this year at the Dutch Design Week, ‘B-Wise’ is a uniquely grungy-looking lampshade that’s actually made from mycelium – the vegetative part of a mushroom or fungus that often grows underneath the surface while we just notice the mushroom caps that make their way through the ground or tree bark.

The pendant lamp, which measures an impressive 60cm wide, comes with a grungy appearance that is unique to each lamp. To make each lamp, the designers at Myceen take an empty mold and fill it with mycelium along with waste organic material from the timber and agricultural industry including sawdust and straw for the mycelium to feed on. In a matter of just 5 weeks, the mycelium grows into the shape of the mold and is then de-molded and dehydrated to prevent any further growth. With the appearance of leather, the B-Wise lamp’s shade is then ready for further treatment. The rest of the shade is made from a plywood and aluminum frame, complete with a ceramic socket and a lighting cable!

Designers: Myceen

This isn’t the first time mycelium’s been used as a natural alternative to other commercial materials. In fact, Sebastian Cox and Ninela Ivanova worked on similar smaller pendant lamps with a more traditional-looking design that could take anywhere between 4-12 weeks to grow.

With its unique ability to naturally grow into shapes while being relatively strong thanks to its intertwining fibers, mycelium is proving to be an exciting material to work with in the future. Not only is it obviously a great plant-based alternative to leather (given its rubbery, leathery texture), it’s emissions-free, compostable/biodegradable, and has interesting applications outside fashion too, including architecture, with NASA considering using mycelium to make sustainable housing on Mars!

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Designer builds a massive sharpener to make these beautiful pencil-shaving lampshades

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What I appreciate about creatives is their ability to see art and beauty in even the most mundane things. I’d venture that nobody’s ever looked at pencil shavings and thought “hey, there’s potential in this”, but then again, that’s where the design eye comes in handy. Nanako Kume’s Sharpener lampshades were designed directly inspired by pencil shavings… and no, her lampshades aren’t just simply shaving-inspired – they’re literally made from a massive pencil-shaped wooden block that’s been sharpened on a larger-than-life sharpener built by Kume herself!

“Since childhood, I was fascinated by the shape and fleetingness of shavings that are made when sharpening pencils”, Kume mentions. “I thought that by increasing the size and thickness of what must be discarded as waste, it would be possible to create new products while maintaining the beauty of the shape.”

Designer: Nanako Kume

Kume’s process includes a lot of interesting variables. She meticulously chooses wood types based on their grain, the shape of the wood block (which determines the shaving’s skirt pattern), the speed at which the block is shaved (which determines the coil shape), and finally the dye on the wood’s outer coating, which gives each pendant lamp its unique color accent.

However, the most impressive part of this sharpening process involves the actual massive sharpener that Kume built out, to help execute her vision. The sharpener is operated manually, using a rotating shaft that allows Kume to apply a turning and downward process on each wooden block.

The process is a decidedly unique one. Kume first forms the wood blocks into their desired shapes, after which they get dyed, steamed (to make them soft), and then finally sharpened. Once she’s happy with the shape of the wood shaving, it’s left to dry, after which fixtures are added to turn it into a pendant lamp!

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This minimalist table-light distills the idea of a lamp into its most basic elements – a light, and a shade

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Created to explore the relationship between Changhojis (paper doors found in traditional Asian homes) and lights, the Light Kyeol Series comes with a bulb and an interchangeable card-like shade that sits in front of the light source, diffusing it. The cards use a variety of paper types, including textured, colored, and handmade, to explore the way they disperse light.

The series features different lamp styles with the same concept of having a sheet of paper propped up or suspended in front of a light source. The lamp’s relatively dim, casting an ambient glow around the room, while the choice of paper definitely gives it its own flavor, bringing a slightly rustic appeal to the lamp’s design.

It’s difficult to correctly place the lamp’s design in a particular box. It’s a combination of minimalism, traditionalism, craft, and even a bit of steampunk. The lamp’s variants explore simple designs and shapes, experimenting with intersections and overlapping elements, and the lamp series’ construction uses a limited caché of materials, from brass and acrylic for the base and frame, and Korean paper for the shades.

Designers: HyeokRoh, Jonggun Kim, Hyoin Son

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35mm Movie Lampshades: By the Light of the Silvery Film

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With the rise of digital projectors and 4K video, theaters that play movies recorded on 35 mm or 70 mm film are becoming more and more rare. I remember back when I was in college and running the campus film program lugging giant containers of film stock up to the projection booth and then waiting for our projectionist to splice on trailers and make sure the sprockets weren’t all torn up before showing the movie. Now, that whole process is pretty much a dying art.

If you have a fond place in your heart for actual film, then check out these cool lamp shades, made from strips of 35 mm film from actual theatrical movie releases.

Each one is handmade by UK design shop Reelluminations, who painstakingly selects sequences of film to wrap around each shade, making sure your lamp has some classic and memorable scenes you can peek at if you look carefully or break out the magnifying glass. They aren’t just cool because of the movies they feature, they also cast colorful and dramatic shadows when placed near a wall and you use the right kind of bulb.

Some of the shades currently available in their Etsy shop include the very timely Blade Runner, as well as The Terminator, TRON, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and more. They’re all made from 35mm film, but it would be cool if they made bigger images using 70mm or IMAX prints as well.

You can also request custom shades with scenes from dozens of other popular films. The shads sell for about $80 to $110(USD) each, but keep in mind that doesn’t include a lamp, and you’ll need to provide that.

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Floppy Disk Lampshade: What Drunk Geeks Wear on Their Heads

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Have a bunch of old 3.5″ floppy disks lying around? If you still have some left over after converting them into paintings or handbags, you might want to redecorate your room with a floppy disk lampshade.

floppy disk lampshade 2

That’s exactly what Instructables contributor Technohippy did with his spare floppies. All it took to make this floppy disk lampshade was 17 floppy disks, 44 cable ties, and some basic hand tools. While this particular design was for a ceiling fixture, there’s no reason you couldn’t apply the same concept to a table or floor lamp too. Keep in mind that you’ll want to go with a fluorescent or LED lamp inside the fixture so as not to melt your floppies, and fill your home with the noxious fumes of burning plastic.

Pop on over to Instructables for the full build instructions. I wonder what we’ll make out of USB flash drives when they’re eventually obsolete and replaced with holographic memory or something altogether different.