Upcycling Project: Modern Library Lamp

For the upcoming upcycling project I want to explore how lighting elements can affect the mood of a space, most importantly with color and shape. The inspiration for this project came to me when I found a set of 1980’s Sony speakers at a local thrift store which then led me to start setting up a small portion of my room to house the speakers create a small “music corner” where I can look through my CD’s, play some music and relax a bit. I currently have this random Ikea light that has stuck with me throughout every year of college and I’ve decided i’m ready for something a little bit more aesthetically pleasing. I’m still on the look out for a CD player but I am excited to get a start on improving the lamp situation.

My inspiration for the new lamp design are the older style lamps found throughout classic libraries, I remember as a kid seeing the familiar green hue and immediately associating it with a quiet, Zen like place.

Now, as an adult, I want to take that same concept of that light and incorporate a more contemporary aesthetic. To do this, I will create a trapezoidal base out of aluminum sheet. This aluminum will have a slight sheen to it which will tie into the lamp “stalk” which will be a bent piece of aluminum. The power cable will be external on the lamp and will wrap around the stalk which will contrast with the rest of the lamp and tie nicely into the speaker design. The end of the lamp “stalk” will be a cylindrical cover over the light bulb, out of some translucent glass or plastic (still need to check out the thrift stores and see what’s out there). I am looking to have a orange hue to that material as it will provide a very warm light to that area.

Image: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/green-reading-lamps-in-a-library-gm1187347799-335366491