Design Daily: Bike Chain Chandeliers from Facaro
Author:Sarah Virginia WhiteEver wonder what happens to broken, greasy bike chains and discarded rims? Some of them re-emerge as stunning lighting designs from Los Angeles artist Carolina Fontoura Alzaga of Facaro. She reclaims trashed bicycle parts, gives them a good cleaning, then transforms the raw metal into cascading table lamps, sconces and chandeliers for her CONNECT series.
The marriage of hard metal and traditional lighting forms is so successful in this collection. It’s versatile, with knotty chains that resemble beaded strings, and fluid cascading shapes. The designs would look at home in a factory, a formal dining room, or, frankly, on the set of True Blood (if vampires had bedrooms, this would totally be in Pam‘s boudoir). And I always love when designers are able to turn trash into treasure, as Alzago has done with these used materials.
Alzaga doesn’t put a finish on the bike chains after degreasing them, so each nick and scape is revealed in the metal. In my opinion, that adds to the character of each sculpture, but to boost the contrast, Alzaga can paint rims black upon request. Check out more designs at the Facaro website, or email her directly at caro@facaro.com to request a catalog and discuss custom orders.
