ADDING LIFE; INTERIOR DESIGN
2018 - 2020 ∙ Product design ∙ Plants ∙ 3D printing ∙ Concrete ∙ Laser cutting
2018 - 2020 ∙ Product design ∙ Plants ∙ 3D printing ∙ Concrete ∙ Laser cutting
Although I am a big fan of the ease with which something can be made using a 3D printer, I am not a big fan of the aesthetics of 3D printed objects. For this reason I tried to find a way to combine the rapid and versatile prototyping properties of 3D printing with aesthetically pleasing materials, this is how I came up with the idea to design 3D printed moulds to make concrete planters.
Two halves form the outside mould, these are made of PLA, which is a very stiff material, the most commonly used material for 3D printing. The inside mould is made with a flexible 3D printer filament. This gives it the ability to be pulled out of the planter once the concrete had dried and the pot shrunk around the inside mould.
During the first covid lockdown my interest (bordering on obsession) with interior plants grew. After putting up four shelfs and filling my windowsills with plants, I started to look for other ways to add more plants to my living room, that is when I came up with this plant hanger design.
The first plant hangers I made, were made with a 3D printed bowl. 3D-Printing bowls is tricky and requires support. Because of this I had to sand the bowls and afterwards spray paint them. The hexagon frame the bowls rest in is made of laser cut plywood. The frame consists of three hexagon shapes that fit together. The hexagons are hold together with a paracord string.
Because 3D printing the bowls took much processing afterwards to make them look nice, I looked for an alternative for 3D printing the bowls. I searched for bowls on the internet of similar shapes and sizes, but I realised I wanted a more sustainable material than plastic. Ceramics would have been aesthetically pleasing but might be to heavy for the hexagon frame. Eventually I came across coconut bowls. These have the correct shape, light in weight and more sustainable than plastic. Another benefit to the coconut bowls is that they are a natural material and therefore are all unique.
