Part of the Made in Berlin: Open Process Exhibition at Salone del Mobile 2010, Malva is “a series of lights inspired by the natural qualities of cellulose and viscose.” The collection has something in common with Sun Chips. Sun Chips, you ask? Yes indeed. Though the two objects may seem strange bedfellows, both Malva Lights and the popular snack food are packaged in compostable wrappings. This translates into true eco-friendly design, since the objects revert back to nature, becoming one again with the organic soil of our planet.

Malva Lights. Designed by Ett la Benn.

How does Malva accomplish this feat? Simple: “The objects are generated by the forming of moistened sponge cloth and its subsequent hardening by air drying on a mould. The translation of this customary material into individual design pieces through basic processes of forming and drying measures up to the highest demands in sustainability and eco friendliness.”

Malva is the creation of Berlin-based company Ett la Benn, a studio run by the duo of Oliver Bischoff and Danilo Dürler, industrial and product designers respectively. The collection of lamps comes in black or white, in a series of interesting forms that includes bell and pagoda shapes, as well as one that looks like a Tudor Bonnet (or souffle, depending on your preference). Malva pendants hang from a simple black wire, while the standing lamp rests on a silver tripod. At the Ett la Benn Blog, you can see the entire series against a white backdrop, flanked by a couple of black photography umbrellas–a Mise-en-scène that emphasizes the bulbous contours of the Malva Collection.