Way to Upcycle! Color Block Hanging Lights

It can be hard to imagine something as ordinary and mundane as a wine bottle being anything other than — well — ordinary and mundane. Sure, it can be recycled into new glass products, but what else could it possibly become? I’m trying to get myself into the mindset of upcycling, which basically means finding a creative reuse for something before tossing it in the trash or even the recycling bin. Not that recycling is bad. But it takes a lot less energy to reuse something in its existing form than to melt it down and turn it into something else. That fact makes these Color Block Hanging Lights by Jerry Kott all the more beautiful.

I never thought I would see the day when I’d actually want to have a glorified glass bottle hanging in my kitchen, but these are truly works of art. Sometimes, the simplest transformations make the biggest difference in the look of a product. When I look at these, I don’t see bottles. I see beautiful pendant lamps in interesting shapes and colors that would provide soft, ambient lighting.

I am also very intrigued by Kott’s process. He hand cuts and reassembles the bottles into simple, but stunning fixtures. My only caveat? I wish they came standard with CFLs or LED light bulbs instead of a 40-watt frosted showcase bulb. I can’t vouch for how energy efficient they are, but they sure are beautiful.

The lamps are available with 3, 4 or 5 color blocks, with the price increasing incrementally based on the number of colors. Still, for a handmade product, the price is definitely reasonable.

Why It’s Green:

• Handmade
• Made of upcycled glass bottles

Price: $190-310