Ah, the secret joys and fabulous finds to be unearthed amid the perpetual detritus… Speaking of virtual terrain here—as in the oft-disembodied cosmos of the internet—I still can’t help but sometimes feel something like the hapless Wall*E, turning over clunky chunks of rusty trash to find the occasional luminous treasure. As you might know if you’re a regular reader (and as Bill Maher often says), “I kid the internet…” Of course, an occasional ribbing doesn’t mean I’m not profoundly grateful for the www and its letting to light of ingenious concoctions like LowellAndLouise’s Ink Cartridge Lights.

Ink Cartridge Light. Designed by LowellAndLouise.

Finding the Sustenance in Sustainable

Very like Chris Rucker’s OSB furniture or Zuii’s Winter Lamp (made of plastic bags), LowellAndLouise‘s Ink Cartridge Chandelier and Lamp both transform refuse into a fully functional forum for A&D. And also like those spiritual antecedents, the Ink Cartridge lights possess a singular aesthetic with a counter-culture appeal. The archetype in this case is the ubiquitous ink cartridge—a doubly frustrating emblem since it signifies the perpetually untimely (if temporary) end of ink as well as the wasteful nature of our disposable society.

Both chandelier and lamp reverse the above formula as they bank on the aesthetic of CMYK color coding: that’s cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, which, collectively and for the purposes of printing, constitute all the colors of the rainbow. LowellAndLouise skillfully employ this visual marker to heighten translucence while imparting a colorful kick. The rest is a custom-cut aluminum support suspended from a handsome chain (chandelier), and a simple embedded six-watt bulb with a non-descript cord (lamp). The undeniable upshot is a light you can feel good about (and afford) as it illuminates your environs with a thrifty thumbing at the throwaway mindset.

Via Inhabitat.