Green Daily

As a result of a century of unaesthetic bulb-making, lights have traditionally been dressed up with shades and fixtures, all just to hide the ugly little light sources inside. Not that incandescent bulbs look much better, but I've always thought that CFL looked really conspicuously plain and utilitarian. But what if the bulb itself was actually pleasing to look at, therefore lessening some of the need for light fixtures? That would be an impressively green design, right?

That's part of the idea behind a London boutique Hulger's crusade to push the boundaries of the CFL. Sure, the CFL is a step forward in terms of efficiency, but why can't it be a step up in terms of design as well? The Plumen Project is an art installation, aimed at exploring the design possibilities with the compact fluorescent bulb. Right now, almost all bulbs fit into three styles: the radiator, the incandescent-esc, and the ice cream whip. Hulger has come up with a range of new styles, all of which stand alone on their own design. One of their concept CFLs has even been selected by MoMA to be part of the permanent design collection.

[via Inhabitat]