One of the most ingenious products featured at the hauteGREEN exhibit last month was the ThermaLamp designed by London-based G|O|E Design. It literally relies on you to make the move from a conventional to eco-friendly bulb for it to work and “bloom.”
Step 1: Therma Lamp arrives in flat form on your doorstep. You install a standard incandescent bulb in the fixture to wilt the thermo-softening petals into a desired shape (finally making use of some of the excessive heat that emits from our everyday bulbs).
Step 2: Once you’ve achieved the look you want, switch the bulb to an eco-friendly, low wattage bulb. Voila, you’ve co-created an energy efficient, light sculpture.
What else makes them fabulously green:
They’re lightweight, require minimal packaging, made by local manufacturers, and as a thermo-softening plastic, it can be recycled (and has been made in part from recycled material).
You are also forced to part ways with that everyday light bulb if you want to keep your new piece of art from discoloring or turning brittle. You might even see some savings on your next electrical bill.
Although available primarily in Europe, G|O|E is able to ship to the US. Reasonably priced at £45.
Thanks to Campbell at G|O|E for giving me the ThermaLamp for Dummies tutorial and for answering my barrage of technical questions. I appreciate their candor about what pieces are eco-friendly and which aren’t in their collection — demonstrating their integrity as designers. That’s what I call being socially responsible.
