We may be done with our Halloween festivities for the year, but it is never too late or out of season to keep a few quirky items inspired from the spookfest around to remind you of the wicked fun that you have on the day. Though the Listen|Closely lampshades were probably not created as a Halloween decoration, they do remind us of the silhouette of the ghosts that Walt Disney and Hanna-Barbara created for their animations. Created by designer Kevin Wharton, of Designers at Large, the Listen|Closely lampshade are an innovative new line of lifestyle products that were showcased at the annual IDSwest Interior Design Show in Vancouver. A part of the studio’s reclaimed and upcycled series of lifestyle products, the lampshade was developed by the studio in collaboration with the Vancouver chapter of Architecture for Humanity and Canada Place to create awareness about the possibilities that are hidden within what most people would call waste and garbage.
A part of the Re-Fab project, the series of 75 lampshades is crafted out of materials that would otherwise be dumped in landfills or stored away in warehouses rotting. Cut using a water jet, the lampshades are crafted out of fireproof composite material sheets reclaimed from the recently renovated 5 sails of British Columbia’s most popular tourism and sightseeing attraction, Canada Place.
The silhouette of the lampshades are also very unconventional and the ruffled flowy look allows them to be paired with tall floor lamps as well as smaller table lamps and outdoor lighting fixtures to illuminate decks, porches, balconies and even gardens since they are completely weatherproof. The pleasing contours and color of the lampshades allow the light from the lamp to be diffused to just the right tone to provide an intimate and comforting illumination to any space they are used in.
Offered with two hooks and clips for hanging, 15’ of cord, CSA approved light fixture, the fiberglass and polytetrafluoroetheylene composite material (called Sheerfill II-HT) used for the construction of the shades is fully fire-rated, waterproof, and Teflon-coated for durable use.
An 11W compact fluorescent is the recommended light bulb to be used with the shades though customers can fit them with bulbs of less strong power as well.
Offered for sale at a price of $150 each, the lampshades may be a little pricey for something made out of reclaimed materials but the limited-edition item allows buyers to own a piece of Canadian history and makes a great souvenir and collectors item.
What’s even better is that the proceeds from the sale of the lampshades go to the HomeStart Foundation, which is a non-profit organization working towards providing furnishings to people who cannot afford to pay for it themselves.
Source: Designers At Large
