Victor Vetterlein is an architect and industrial designer based in New York City. From a background of engineers and painters, Vetterlein attended Colorado State University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management and a Fine Arts minor in Sculpture. He went on to receive a Master of Architecture with honors at the University of Washington in Seattle, and later moved to New York City where he worked under Charles Gwathmey. Vetterlein’s designs are strongly concept driven, referencing the various cultures and lifestyles of his background.

From Trash to ‘Trash Me’ to Trash Again, Recycled, Recyclable Lamps by Victor Vetterlen

The ‘Trash Me’ lamps project is a statement about the transient nature of designed products in our culture. In a city where we are inundated by trash, products that are made from recycled material and can be easily recycled at the end of life are the most valuable in creating a greener future. Trash Me lamps come in a ceiling hung and a table top versions. The design is industrial, straight-forward and not without a sense of irony. A statement about the process of creating Trash me by the designer:

“Each Trash Me lamp is created from four paper egg cartons, blended with water, poured over a mold, and smoothed by hand to form a section. After drying for a few days, the sections are fastened together with aluminum screw posts. A cloth electrical cord with recyclable electrical fixture parts is used for the lighting. For the Trash Me desk lamp, a paper bag filled with bird seed provides added weight to stabilize the base. At the end of its life, the Trash Me lamp can be quickly dissembled and the parts reused or recycled back into the trash to be born again as something as new.”