Gorgeous Lamps by Nir Meiri are Made from Grains of Desert Sand

<a href="http://www.nirmeiri.com" target="_blank">Nir Meiri</a>’s beautifully smooth lamps are not only inspired by the desert, but they are also made from it! <a href="http://inhabitat.com/amazing-solar-powered-3d-printer-showcased-at-the-london-design-festival/" target="_blank">Using the plentiful sand from the desert</a>, Meiri molds the delicate-looking shades into bulbous organic lights. The sturdy results, aptly called “Desert Storm,” are illuminated with <a href="http://inhabitat.com/estres-studios-elegant-beo-lamp-is-made-from-renewable-materials-without-glue-or-screws/" target="_blank">LED lights</a>, giving off a soft warm glow.

Like a hardened sand castle, the sand shades are smooth to the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/helen-altmans-spicy-skull-sculptures-are-a-creepy-feast-for-the-senses/" target="_blank">mould they were cast in</a>. Meiri simply uses glue to to create the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/pulplamps-recycle-old-newspapers-into-amorphous-cocoon-like-lamps/" target="_blank">tactile shades</a>, covering the mould with glue and then sand.

After the glue sets, the lamps are rigid and substantial as glass. Meiri then outfits each with an LED light for long lasting illumination, and floor lamp or table top hardware.

When illuminated, the gritty pattern of the sand is shown, casting a warm <a href="http://inhabitat.com/intricately-carved-gourd-lamps-cast-magical-shadows-on-your-walls/" target="_blank">glow with subtle texture and pattern</a>. When unlit, the shades resemble pale tan clay pots, or dried plant pods or flowers when grouped together.

Meiri was inspired by the shape of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/earthen-beehive-houses-have-been-keeping-syrians-naturally-cool-for-centuries/" target="_blank">primitive desert dwellings</a>, which are often dome-like in nature.

The usage of sand is also due to the designer’s interest in the interplay of the material. In nature, it can be seen as <a href="http://inhabitat.com/perplexing-yucca-crater-will-be-a-deep-desert-pool-using-repurposed-materials/" target="_blank">part of an oasis</a>, or relaxation of a beach. But nature can also be destructive, causing horrific sand storms, not to mention the intense drought of the world’s every <a href="http://http://inhabitat.com/amazing-prefabricated-california-roll-house-adapts-easily-to-harsh-desert-environments/" target="_blank">expanding desert wastelands</a>.

Meiri’s “Desert Storm” lamps make a beautiful and functional object of a substance that can be at once serene and destructive.