A gorgeous lampshade made from cabbage leaves

The beauty of a cabbage leaf might not be obvious to everyone, but when it’s dried, molded, and coated with chemicals, it really starts to shine. The London-based designers from Nir Meiri Design Studio worked with Vaidehi Thakkar to craft a new kind of lamp that uses cabbage leaves as its shade.

The organic lamp, called “Veggie Lights,” features a delicate layer of cabbage leaves that top a thin gold stem and sturdy, cylindrical base. Thakkar made the shade by transforming fresh leaves into a papery material she calls “Fiber Flats.”

Nir Meiri

“We dry them until all the moisture is evaporated, using a mould that mimics the shape of the original red cabbage leaf,” Meiri explained to Dezeen. “And then, we finish them off with a water-based, sustainable coating.”

The resulting lampshade is so delicate you can see the veins and crinkles of the leaves as the light shines through. As you might imagine, the shades will not last forever. Like any organic matter, they’ll morph and change and eventually, if slowly, decompose. But at least they’ll be beautiful while they last.