“I’m fascinated by the way new tools and methods for working with common materials can unveil new, hidden qualities and purposes,” remarks budding designer Rick Tegelaar of an ideology the resounds clearly through his latest design he calls Chicken Wire Lamps.

Chicken Wire Lamps. Designed by Rick Tegelaar.

Stretched Tight, Tegelaar’s Chicken Wire Lamps Infuse Common Materials with Modern Molds.

Tegelaar began by designing a series of tools that could manipulate chicken wire. One of them is known as a reverse press – instead of pressing materials together, it stretched them apart. “I can make a tunnel or a sock and then stretch it over a mold,” Tegelaar explains. “It immediately becomes rigid without heat or chemicals.” He cuts the chicken wire diagonally meaning the patterns are diamond-shaped and even more rigid than the traditional square look. On top of this structure he wraps bamboo paper that he gets wet and then dries, reinforcing the strength of the lampshade.

A recent product design graduate of ArtEZ – a prominent design school based in Arnhem of The Netherlands – Rick Tegelaar already presented a couple of his designs at the Salone del Mobile in Milano as a third year student. Like a cast stretched tightly and fused with bamboo paper and wire, Tegelaar’s lamps are not prototypes. In fact, the materials and techniques have evolved into a gorgeous lighting product that measures up to commercial requirements.

Using everyday objects and materials to create beautiful new products is something most designers might take for granted or use only in prototyping. Setting himself apart by finding a beautiful way to turn chicken wire into the shell of a modern lamp shade, we look to the refreshing reaches of Rick Tegelaar.

About the Designer: Rick Tegelaar’s approach to designing beautiful products is to look into simple and well-known materials differently. His education comes from the ArtEZ school in Arnhem, Netherlands but has continued through his exposure to major furniture design fairs like Salone del Mobile and others.