Urchin-Inspired Lamp Kickstarts Its Way To Shining Success
Author:Lindsey ShookSourcing eco-friendly materials that boast a small carbon footprint is the key tenet behind San Francisco-based husband-wife creative team Chris Chalmers and Amber Bieg’s new illuminating design venture, Urchin. The duo turned their passion for beautiful objects into a lamp that can be shipped fully assembled or as a do-it-yourself kit.
We spotted these new lighting gems at the inaugural West Coast Craft fair in San Francisco in November and were enamored by its modern, geometric design and sheer weightlessness. Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign that pushed them well over their $5,000 funding goal, the couple launched Urchin Lamp from their Fabripod company and are beginning to roll out orders.
Available in small or large, white or birch, round or tall or flat, these lightweight lamps are crafted out of flexible puzzle-esque pieces; the wood design from 2-ply birch veneer, the white from corn-based bioplastic. Cool note – all of the wood pieces are sourced from Michigan, where growing, harvesting, and peeling the veneer is a family affair. The white PLA is biodegradable, and can last longer outdoors than the birch model.
Chris and Amber designed the repeating geometric pattern to mimic the spotty, textured surface of sea urchins. The dotted pattern has a decidedly mid-century modern style, and the light that peeps through the transparent wooden pieces is projected onto your walls in a gorgeous display of oceanic, sand dollar-esque rings.
Each lamp comes as a kit, and can be easily assembled with plastic snaps and a numbered tiered system (we are very appreciative of their easy-to-follow diagrams). Or – for a cool $100 – you can order it fully assembled, with the exception of the small lamp, which only costs an extra $25 for assembly.
Lamps run $25 – $365. All lamps include a 12-foot long pendant cord; additional accessories can be ordered from the Fabripod website.
