Gorgeous Origen Egg Crate Chandelier
by Alexandra Kain, 04/09/09
With Easter on its way, those of us who engaged in egg-dying festivities are likely to have lots of empty egg crates lying around. Rather than tossing them in the trash (or compost bin!), why not follow Federico Otero’s example and transform them into elegant examples of DIY design. One of fifteen finalists in our Spring Greening Contest, the Origen lamp is formed from several 30-pack egg crates interlocked around a light bulb that gives off a soft, warm glow. If you’re a fan of this design, be sure to vote for it in our contest post!
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Easter aside, if you’ve ever had a garage band you know that old egg crates are great for diffusing sound, but if you’ve made it past that stage you’re either a professional musician or have a lot of leftover egg crates to get rid of. In the more probable case of the latter, why not take some cues from designer Federico Otero and turn those sound diffusers into light diffusers.
Federico is a seasoned industrial designer originally from Lima, Peru. Over the last decade his work has taken him from the United States to Italy to Switzerland where he’s worked on a number of design projects from faucets to jewelry. Most recently, he’s been designing watches for the Swiss company Tag Heuer.
I like the look of this lamp a lot. My only reservation is that cardboard exposed to heat tends to dry out and get very brittle, and unless it is coated with something it is hard to clean.