NY design week – icff 2012: graypants.
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Graypants is a design studio and think tank based out of Seattle and Amsterdam that takes on a wide range of projects, from larger architectural commissions to furniture and lighting. Where their smaller products are concerned, it’s clear that Graypants makes their materials work as hard as possible. The sleek Slice chair (below) gets the most out of a single sheet of plywood. Three entire chairs can be made from just one sheet, and because the low-VOC finish is a byproduct of cheese (yes, really), the only waste is the saw dust.
At ICFF this year, Graypants showed off their stunning cardboard-based lighting collection. Available in a variety of shapes from perfect circles to oval pendants, each light is made of thin strips of laser-cut cardboard that are glued one on top of the other. Because of the irregularities in the cardboard’s honeycomb structure, the light shines through in unique ways particular to each individual light. In certain lights, like the Drum or the Bell (below), the cardboard rings are arranged to create a subtle pattern. The lights, which range in price from $179 – $1,399, can be purchased directly from graypants’ online shop.