CAN light chandelier by Willem Heefer

CAN light chandelier by Willem Heefer
for Midhill diner, Helsinki, Finland.

Image via dutch DZINE

 Innovative, effective and sustainable product design by Willem Heefer.  

Catering sized Heinz baked bean cans were saved from the waste bins of restaurants and cafes to be transformed into industrial light fittings at Midhill diner in Helsinki, Finland.

The results are stunning with a touch of fun.

CAN light chandelier by Willem Heefer
for Midhill diner, Helsinki, Finland.

Image via dutch DZINE

Vintage window shopping - San Francisco

Vintage window shopping.
San Francisco.

Image by ReDesign for Life

Creating shade at Brixton Village Market

Wonderfully creative use of old lampshades
at Brixton Village Market.
Image by Re-Design for Life.

For over two years now, I have been living with a bare lightbulb in the ceiling light at the top of my stairs.   Having searched high and low considering various options, I am still totally in-the-dark as to how to shade the naked glare.

Perhaps something mid-century modern?  Something reclaimed from a victorian school?  Something Scandinavian?  Something tongue-in-cheek chintz?

This morning my light-bulb of inspiration shone at Brixton Village Market, where one of the 'Avenues' has the most wonderfully adorned lights hanging from it's 1930's ceiling.  Each light has a unique shade created from a combination of chintz damasks, retro wooden and plastic lanterns, English country florals,  1960's patterns, scallop edges and fringing.

So there hangs the answer of how to dress my bare light-bulb.  I'll combine all of my ideas to create one unique piece.  The search for each individual shade begins...

Image by Re-Design for Life

Image by Re-Design for Life

Image by Re-Design for Life

Drawers filled with Style and Salvage - by Rupert Blanchard

Multi Drawer Cabinet Square by Rupert Blanchard.
Created with discarded drawers that were once part of a 40's desk, a fitted wardrobe,
a Victorian chest of drawers, a haberdashery shop cabinet,
a 50's sideboard and a 20's chest of drawers.

Rupert Blanchard is obsessed with drawers.  It began when he was a curious child visiting his Grandma's house, which was furnished with watchmakers cabinets and drawers.  His obsession and curiosity has developed into a creative talent for up-cycling abandoned, unused and unwanted drawers.  Blanchard scours junk shops, car boot sales and market stalls for discarded furniture to re-create into cabinets that will once again be wanted.  Each individual drawer has a story to tell from another era, brought together to create something extremely modern yet timeless.

As Rupert Blanchard says "The main rule I have set myself is to only use objects that no longer fulfill the purpose for which they were originally created, and to make the unwanted wanted again."