Main Project: Variable Light Mushroom Lamp

For my project I aim to make an interactive lamp with a variable light output. While visiting a coffee shop on pearl street I found a lamp in the shape of a mushroom (Figure 1). I really like the simplicity of the design and how smooth it was. I immediately had the idea that the top of the mushroom could spin and turn a potentiometer; The more you turned the top, the higher the resistance in the circuit and the more dim the light would become.

Figure 1. Mushroom lamp

               Searching for similar lamp features for inspiration, I discovered an artist by the name of Erik Gustafson. His design company, Unknown origins CO., Created a lamp with a central pivot that when turned, the lamp would physically block light and had a dimming effect. From there I realized I could go with a physical system to block light instead of doing it electronically with a potentiometer.

Figure 2. UNKOWN ORIGIN CO. Lamp

               The above images are of the lamp designed by Erik Gustafson. The first image is in the closed position, blocking all light from escaping, and the second image is in the fully opened state. I really liked this movement of the lamp and thought it would be an interesting technique for me to implement in my design. He uses an LED strip on the back of the main member for the lighting element. I could use a similar flexible LED strip to mount to the underside of the mushroom top.

For the aesthetic, I want to either go for a cottagecore, mid-century modern, or psychedelic. If I went down the cottagecore aesthetic, I would put the mushroom in a planter with moss and vines flowing over the sides. The cottagecore aesthetic incorporates a lot of light exposed wood with a lot of foliage. It is a blend of nature and comfort living. Some famous examples of this aesthetic would be the house in Cinderella or The Hobbit. The mid-century modern aesthetic is fairly similar with a heavy use of light stain wood and simple shapes that creates a very “lived in” feeling. Both of this aesthetics use very little negative space; the walls of homes with this aesthetics are typically packed full of pictures and plants. For me to match this aesthetics I would use very light wood like maple or oak. However, the psychedelic aesthetic is very different from the previous two mentioned. It uses a lot of bright colors with intricate, repeating patterns, typically organic shapes and flowing lines. Mushrooms are a very common symbol used in this aesthetic which is why I am contemplating going to follow this sort of design. Instead of just having the lighting under the mushroom I would have the lights wrap around the top of the mushroom in a very psychedelic way. I would likely switch out the LEDs for RGB colored LEDs to emphasize the psychedelic feeling.