During the Milan fair, designer Julia Lohmann has been experimenting with kelp. Instead of showing finished products, she has been using both an Irish kelp and a Japanese kelp to share the process of drying, re-hydrating, stretching and varnishing the marine plant. She notes "The Irish kelp turned out to be beautifully translucent and green whereas the Japanese Kombu was much browner and hard, almost like a 70’s plastic."...
Kelp grows up to a meter a day, and can be harvested sustainably. Perhaps we will be seeing more kelp products in the near future?
If kelp doesn't interest you as a material, perhaps sheep stomachs will? One of Julia's previous projects, Flock, makes use of 50 sheep stomachs as a lighting installation. Via: dezeen.
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I'd rather see the Kelp than the sheep stomachs...
...and when you tire of it - you can use it for Sushi.
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Doesn't it smell when draped over a hot bulb for a day or two? I guess they have to lacqeur it pretty thoroughly. They probably learned their lesson with the sheep stomachs.
view Jaze's profile
Creepy but kind of cool. Decor for an edgy seafood place maybe?
view beelzabean's profile
kelp is hideous. this is like a joke. it will be a joke in 20 years. horrors of '00s eco-design.
view buyersremorse's profile
Come on people, let's come back down to earth.
It's not that different than leather.
While it does have a creepy element, let's keep in mind we may eventually have to use this kind of material someday because we've exhausted all of our resources.
I wish more people like Julia were hailed as visionaries, rather than someone like Karim Rashid. Or certain food photographers I know.
Bravo Julia! You're a true artist!
view TracynA2's profile
Love this idea! The color that shines through is gorgeous. I'd definitely hang that chandelier in my apt!
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