British designer grows mushroom lamps

In the United Kingdom, designer Sebastian Cox has created pendant lamps made by growing fomes fomentariu mushrooms in funnels.

Dubbed Mycelium + Timber, the lamps were developed in partnership with researcher Ninela Ivanova. Willow wood from Cox’s own property provided a base for the fungus to grow. 

“It’s not just about the fungus, it’s about the marriage of the two materials,” Ivanova tells design publication Dezeen. “These two materials have a natural relationship in the woodland, so let’s see how we can exploit that.” The lamps took 1-3 months to grow. Cox and Ivanova plan to expand the collection into new products.