Green design: Preethi's Fan blade Lamp ~ DIY

I have already spoken about this amazing lady on the blog here. Preethi is full of surprises. This time around, she made a set of pendant lamps from discarded fan blades.

 And here is the story in her own words.

"Pendant lights can be expensive and yet not unique. Here is a quick DIY pendant lights idea. 

On my last trip to the weekly Bangalore Sunday market, which happens on the BVK Iyengar Road, I chanced upon these table fan blades in different colors. They weren’t pretty when I saw them, I had to look through a load to get the least dented ones, but I think I could see through the dusty blades and I had an instant idea. I picked up four of them and they sat in a corner of the house for a few weeks before the time came for it to see the light of the day."

"So when I was decorating my husbands office meeting room, I visualized the three fan blades hanging from the ceiling above the table. I wanted a retro feel in that space, and the fan blades were best suited there.  I brought them out and shined them with some soap water and wet rag."

What I used for this project?

• 3 meters of wire (White)
• 3 white bulb holders
• One metal wire manager strip ( can find in any lighting shop)
• 3 LED bulbs

How I did it? 

"It was just a matter of cutting the wires to 3 different length, attaching the holder and passing it through the fan blades. The wire manager holds the wire tightly in place and conceals the wires connections. Since the connections to be made to the existing building wiring, it needed an electrician for installation. And it was done! 

I think it turned out pretty cool, and I am quite proud of it. It sort of fit perfectly into the theme and looks very impressive."

Awesome is't it. 

I had to feature this as it works so well and it goes so well with my green design ethos :). Need to see more of her awesome DIYs? Hop over to her space... preethiprabhu.com

Thanks a ton for sharing the DIY with me Preethi. :)

PS:
She is an entrepreneur and deals in Indian handicrafts and exclusive textiles. I hope to do a tour of her awesome office space she did recently... :)

Happy Ganesh Chathurthi to all

Wishing a great year of health, peace and prosperity.

I am sure most of us would have welcomed the elephant head god home...I make it a point to make my own eco-friendly idol at home, but this year I am unable to :)...Sharing pictures of the ones I made in the last three years and wishing everyone a wonderful season of festivities :)

2009 - whole wheat ganesha

2010 - Raagi, whole wheat, corn meal, oats and rice pillayaar (Ganesha)

2011 - Orange as the thoppai (tummy) and whole wheat and corn meal Ganesha

I hope to get back to making my idol next year...May Vinayaka (ganesha) - Removes all the obstacles and brings in happiness, good health, peace and prosperity to all...:)

Reclaimed door ~ coffee table

An interesting and very thoughtful coffee table

Seller description: hand crafted conversion of a Spanish Cedar old world arched door to a fully functional coffee table. Hand fabricated metal banding wraps the edges while large clavos (nails) and heavy metal legs add further character. Th original speak-easy has been customized to create an interesting storage box that is ideal for coasters, cards, and other item

 

Love the thgt and the neat storage idea :)

Pics: craigslist/seller

Wishes for new beginnings and celebrations

Friday Finds: Brazilian Designer: Semana Carlos and his Reclaimed Wood Furniture

This week's Friday Find is a Furniture Designer who believes in being Environmentally responsible...(me likes!!!).  After I had posted about Thomas Wold and his super creative work>> HERE, Divya of Sound Horn Please shared her find with me. (Thanks Divya)...:-). I immediately created a draft post and somehow forgot to publish it the next time. Sorry about that...

So here I go...

“Good design has a social and environmental responsibility,” says Motta, who makes many of his chairs, benches, tables and desks from wood salvaged from demolition sites. “A piece of furniture has to last for a long, long time, because we don’t change how we sit, sleep, eat, write, and so on, so the overall attitude should stay the same.” Motta, who says he likes to design for people who have the same basic needs as he does, calls the use of reclaimed wood in furniture “a simple matter of sustainability.” To follow is a selection of furniture that will be shown at the exhibition. 

Read more: source

A few of his creations

Motta’s Butantã bench, which he says is “made of reclaimed wood from an old bridge demolition."

Motta calls this Aroeira-wood table Jaraguá—“another beautiful Brazilian Indian name,” he says. “This wood was once part of a post used by the English company Light, when they came to Brazil in 1910 to install power lines from São Paulo to inland towns.” 

The Mantiqueiras sofa, designed in 2001 of peroba rosa. “This is a very low sofa, so you sit very close to the floor,” says Motta. “I made the first one for my house in the mountains, to go right in front the fireplace.

Designed in 2009, the Butantã bench is held together by small, patinaed iron I beams.

Horizonte desk in waxed peroba rosa and cabriúva wood, iron and leather, from 2009

Named after a surf spot on the São Paulo coast, Taguaíba was designed in 2008 of peroba wood. Motta says that he strives to “stay far away from the ephemeral and what is en vogue,” in his designs, which he hopes “fulfill their utilitarian function and are comfortable and durable, with a good aesthetic

I really loved his wholisitc approach to using reclaimed wood and mixing it with other reclaimed material...Isn't he an artist :-)

Read more about his work >>Here and >>Here

Images and quotes : dwell 

Ruba Designs ~ Green Design

Post on the Green Crusader

Ruba designs >> over my Post on the Green Crusader