Let's face it, when it comes to home furnishings, most of our budgets have been drastically reduced -- if not completely slashed and put on hold. So why not follow Santiago Morahan's example and turn to the dumpster to create sustainable, one-of-a-kind Diseño Cartonero. His recession friendly designs don't attempt to hide the materials with which their made, they show off their eco-friendliness. It's like shoving your uber greeness in your scuppie friends' face. Who doesn't want to do that?

Morahan has an entire design blog devoted to his "Diseño Cartonero" (translated: trash collector design) that's been getting a lot of attention these days. Mostly because, unlike some other forms of upcycled furniture, Morahan's is both inexpensive and awesome-looking. It does look a bit time-consuming to build -- I'd suggest a really nice pair of box cutters and some Gorilla Glue -- but who ever said building furniture was easy (besides Ikea)? This light fixture is one of my favorite of his designs, and it wouldn't be too difficult to replicate, especially because it performs no load bearing function.

[via Inhabitat]