By now, readers may recognize my deep fondness for electrical cords. I love when they're integrated into product designs, such as with the draped orange cords of Spaghetti Chandelier; the circled lines of Coil Lamp; and the freeform shapes of Studio Mini. Another design using the material is a lamp from Shiro Inoue. Listed under the title "Preferred Application," this thermoplastic light also makes clever use of a screw. Shaped like a tornado, Inoue's lamp has a screw at its pointed end that allows users to fix it in place. The electric cord wraps around the white cone light, fitting into its concentric grooves. The dual action invited by Preferred Application-lighting and screwing-exemplifies Inoue's scientific cognitive approach to design: "If an object is designed with no fixed purpose, we will feel the need to define its existence. To prove this point, I have created here an object with two different primitive-functions combined."

"Preferred Application.” Designed by Shiro Inoue.

Constructed of thermoplastic, the white cone (which looks like a twisted lollipop straight from Johnny Depp's chocolate factory) uses an LED light source. This gleaming top of a lamp comes in three sizes: small (7" H), medium (14" H), and large (18" H). Inoue hails from Japan and studied in The Netherlands, a mixture that is as dualistic as the lighting and screwing of his Preferred Application lamp. A fun, whimsical piece, Inoue's lamp reminds me of swirled taffy and merry-go-round tents. Best of all, the light is portable. Take it from one room to another and make a new hole wherever you need one-it's the lighting version of instant coffee.

Via Yanko.