Sometimes, all you need is to take an existing design, and give it a twist.
In every house in the world there is a drawer. In the back of that drawer you’ll find: string, brightly-colored elastic hair ties, stubs of candles, 3 amp fuses, paperclips and many other fundamental building-blocks of the modern universe.
And if that drawer is large enough, there’s part of a bakelite light fitting – the inspiration for Shangia designer Zhili Liu’s new lighting range. Those with a soft spot for our feathered friends (a certain editor springs to mind) will love the way these lights don’t so much hang as perch.
Cute they most certainly are…but eco-friendly? Alas, they’re not upcycled plastic but fresh bone china – but the design is flawless. It’s the simplest of twists on an old theme, where suddenly the humdrum becomes the gorgeous and stylish.
And it’s not made of plastic – but for a change, that’s a real shame. Bakelite is a tough, durable, inert material of a thousand uses and has become enormously collectable – a curious fate for something mass-produced and cheaply-made that still lurks in every half-forgotten corner. Both desirable and absolutely everywhere, bakelite is perfect for creative upcycling. Look at the magical designs wrought by LA designer Amanda Loos, or these rings made from recycled bakelite pool balls. (Junktion are also its fans).
If we’re going to salvage the design from the junk drawer of history – surely the raw material deserves a comeback as well?
Images: Dezeen