Project Details

General Information

Soft Solids is a lighting design project focused on sustainable materials, circular design, and emotional connection to nature. It combines upcycled lighting components with newly designed light shades crafted from natural wax—an organic-based, renewable material. This approach reduces waste and offers an alternative to mass-produced products, promoting sustainable daily living grounded in mindful consumption.

A key part of the project involved material research to develop wax blends that are highly heat-resistant and structurally durable while maintaining translucency and tactile softness. This transforms wax, typically seen as fragile, into a functional, reliable light diffuser compatible with energy-efficient LED technology.

Beyond functionality, Soft Solids creates sensory experiences that foster calmness and connection to nature in everyday spaces. The soft glow of wax invites reflection on our relationship with crafted objects and consumption patterns, encouraging users to engage more thoughtfully with their environment and bringing nature into the design outcome.

The project embodies harmony between people, society, organic materials, and the environment by blending sustainable practices, handcrafts and technology with emotional design and material storytelling. It encourages a mindful approach to ecological cycles and everyday living, offering both aesthetic and emotional value while supporting the wellbeing of individuals and the planet.

Creative Solution (Creativity/Innovation)

The innovation behind Soft Solids lies in transforming wax—a material often considered fragile—into a durable, functional medium for lighting. Through extensive material testing, the project developed structurally stable wax blends suitable for long-term use with LED lights. This technical advancement allowed the creation of both upcycled luminaires and entirely new sculptural light forms. By merging material science with craftsmanship, the project challenges conventional limitations of wax and integrates it into sustainable design. The combination of circular practices, tactile organic materiality, and emotional resonance forms a unique design language that balances aesthetics, functionality, and environmental responsibility.

Social Impact (Inspiration/Impact)

Soft Solids encourages sustainable living by demonstrating how everyday objects can embody circularity and material care. By upcycling vintage lighting and introducing renewable wax as a functional material, it promotes waste reduction. Its calming, sensory-driven lighting fosters mindful consumption and connection to nature. Also, the newly created wax- light sculptural objects, provides the "glow of nature" for our daily environments. Beyond individual use, the project contributes to broader conversations about sustainable design, influencing how designers and consumers think about material life cycles, reuse, and emotional connection to products— inspiring more thoughtful, sustainable choices within homes and creative communities.

Participation/Cooperation

We collaborated closely with craftsmen, including candle makers and metal welders to develop the Soft Solids project.

After launching Soft Solids lighting series, we collaborated with Copenhagen and Milan Design week teams, contemporary design galleries and studios, to promote sustainable practices and raising awareness within the design community and beyond.

Vision for the Future

Yes, the Soft Solids project presents a forward-looking vision with global scalability. There are myriad unused luminaire or other objects parts worldwide that often go to waste. By using wax—a renewable, sustainable material—for upcycling, the project offers a fresh, contemporary approach to repurposing these materials, promoting mindful consumption and eco-friendly design practices globally.

Additionally, the newly crafted designs have vast potential beyond lighting; although initial research focused on lighting applications, the material and design approach could expand to creating integral spatial elements, opening possibilities for sustainable and innovative design solutions.