Different Aesthetics: Mushroom Lamps

For my project there are two wildly different aesthetics that I am thinking about using. One is the mid-century modern design with a light wood design, and the other would be a psychedelic design. The Images below are the two general aesthetics that I would aim to follow when making my piece.

Figure 1. Psychedelic and Mid-Century Modern

‘Psychedelic Mushrooms’ Poster, picture, metal print, paint by Freddie | Displate

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While very different, both aesthetics uses a lot of natural elements and organic material. The psychedelic aesthetic is very heavy on the mushroom theme since a lot of psychedelics are mushrooms. The imagery in this aesthetic emphasizes mushrooms as an integral element. This would match perfectly with the mushroom shaped lamp. I would likely include very colorful lights that wrap around the top of the mushroom in an organic floating manor. The below image is a preliminary CAD design I made that shows the grooves in which I would place the LED strip.

Figure 2. Mushroom top

For the psychedelic design I would likely make the base out of a white PLA and 3D print it. The groove would be incredibly difficult to machine out of wood and would require very sophisticated machinery. I do not have access to anything of the sort, so I am settling on 3D printing. I want to use a bright color to match the theme, but I don’t want color to be too distracting and take away from the design. Therefore, I would use a white 3D print as white is a very easy color to match with.

The mid-century modern mushroom be a simplified design, without the Groove for the LED strip. The mushroom would be sleeker and made from a light wood such as pine or oak. The buttons on this design would be polished metals to match the modern aspect of the design. The mushroom could also be bigger because the LED would have less distance to travel. Making the mushroom would be more labor intensive as I would have to make the shape by hand on a lathe and mill. In my opinion it would result in a more professional look than a 3D printed mushroom. Below is an image of the 3D rendering for the mid-century modern design.

Figure 2. Mid-Century Modern Mushroom

               This aesthetic would be much easier to implement in my apartment. I think the psychedelic would standout too much, and I want a more subtle design. I may however use the 3D printing from the psychedelic design to make prototypes of the mushroom. It would be really helpful to make prototypes of the turning mechanism as I have to consider wiring, sensor integration, size constraints, etc.