Stuff We Love- Cement Lamps by The Purple Turtles

1. Stuff We Love: Cement Lamps by The Purple Turtles Concrete lamp. God knows I’ve had my eye on one, ever since I saw the Trabant Pendant concrete lamp by Joaquim Manz. So, when The Purple Turtles’ asked me if I’d like to try out a few concrete lamps from their new series, I simply could not tell no. Seriously, I just had to. Because concrete you see is bae. I think I have a love affair with concrete. From as long as I can remember. My father is a civil engineer, which means the affair with concrete started at an early age. I used to follow my father to construction sites and dabble my hands in concrete- thanks to the generous workers who used to pour wet, mixed concrete {primarily to keep me at bay} for me to play with. One of my earliest DIY with this fabulous material was a cross between coaster and a charger {come on, I was 10?} an idea that I stole from my grandmother who used to make coasters with plaster of Paris. I was so proud of it but threw it later. It was pretty bad. But then that was the 90’s where glitter, new and varnish ruled. And concrete was chiefly considered pedestrian and kept hidden in between bricks and plasters. Thanks to more people inclining towards modern simplicity that concrete is finally getting the attention it deserves in the decor space. Today that coaster would have been pretty rustic. And thanks to The Purple Turtles the love for concrete is aflame! Once again. Beautifully etched in feather cement, the purple turtles concrete cement lamps are dynamite. Or lets say, botox for your interiors. Kept at its simple and raw best, these concrete lights add oomph to practically any space. If you like Nordic and Scandinavian aesthetics or minimal, modern and rustic you will find this specially interesting. I love the natural grey of the cement and it certainly complements my beach house aesthetics. There is something about plain concrete that’s charmingly unfinished and I love that. And its fascinating to see how designers and homes around the world are using this ready mix from a humble bag to create out of the box decor elements. But how did Concrete lamp become such a rage For concrete lamps, I will have to start with Concrete in general. Le Corbusier or Corbu enamored the world first with the possibilities of concrete. He essentially created brutalism in design as we know. I’ll quote the Guardian, here “Le Corbusier’s brutalism took an early lead, not least because of concrete’s cost advantage: it is cheap and abundant, the second most consumed material in the world,

2. after water. Brutalism also had the art-historical advantage of fitting easily into a after water. Brutalism also had the art-historical advantage of fitting easily into a centuries-long narrative. The monumental brutalist vaulting of the Washington Metro, for instance, is uncannily similar to that found in largest concrete dome in the world – the 2,000-year-old Pantheon, in Rome.” “It’s easy to see, then, how brutalism is flourishing in the age of Occupy. But there’s another force driving the brutalist resurgence, which is maybe less austere and selfless: photography, in general, and Instagram, in particular.” Hah! Now that is where the resuregence of concrete comes along. And designers are not just doing concrete but are fitting in a perfect balance between concrete and materials that are more organic. For example Teal and Tom Hiddleton. “If you’ve seen High-Rise, the 2015 Ben Wheatley adaptation of JG Ballard’s novel, you will surely remember the vision of Tom Hiddleston’s smooth yet chiseled naked body as seen from above, framed by a raw-concrete balcony. The intersection of the organic with concrete makes for striking visuals, and even concrete on its own has stunning visual power. Something as simple as a shadow packs a much harder punch when it falls across a beautifully textured grey background.” I think personally though, I’ll take teak. Just how its incorporated in The Purple Turtle Study Lamp. Absolutely love the harmony of two very contrasting materials in essence in this concrete lamp. I first heard about The Purple Turtles from Olie Living Lighting and it really lives up to the hype. Love the concrete lamp, the pendants and the desk lamps from their Wabi Sabi Collection. While I have used the Gong Aztec print in my home, this one is my absolute favourite. Imagine how pretty will this look over a dining area. Infact, lets not bias you with my choices. Go take a look at The purple Turtles concrete lamp for yourself. I think you’ll absolutely adore what you’ll see. As for me, I am currently eyeing the Vivid collection from TPT. That pouffe is made with pipe frames and that screams jungalow. Lovely Sunday to you ladies and gentlemen. P.S: We lost our lovely cat on Friday. But fact is, she was a cat and she is the master of her own will. In the slightest of gap, she jumped out of the 9th floor balcony and it was

3. over before I could save her. Thanks to a lot of cat owners calling me and writing to me over before I could save her. Thanks to a lot of cat owners calling me and writing to me about similar incidents that I finally mastered the courage to think that maybe it wasn’t my fault after all. Thank you for your condolences on instagram as well. It meant a lot to me. Grieving will not get her back and death is often the truth you must accept. So, keeping a good spot in my heart reserved for shingi forever, I am compelled to move on. Because life goes on. And its wise to face the truth. But you know somewhere, I am very angry on Shugi. That was a selfish move. She died on me.