apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I can't really tell if I like these lighted furniture or hate them. There is a bit of both in my feelings. Naturally, they evoke images of starships and space travel for some reason. Maybe because they seem to come from the future and would fit in perfectly with HAL. Stardust is actually a set of sofas and pillows that glow from within.

These new models are called Mappamondo (Globe, Bucco Bianco (White Hole), and Galassia (Galaxy). With these futuristic names, you can bet that these will attract the eyes in any setting. They are made out of a fabric called Via Lattea, a white fabric that is based around carbon-based black threads, which the company claims in indestructible. Stardust was created originally or Meritalia in 2007. The new models add the new fabric and a new range of padded furniture. They are filled with transparent bubbles of air and LEDs.

This is a project based on the pursuit of lightness and simplicity applied to the elastic balance between internal pressure and the dynamic loads of the body mediated by the form of the coverings. It is a project that goes against the general trend and is in constant evolution, based on the use of substances and materials that are alien to the traditional world of padded furniture.

The fabric is derived from a material used in the packaging sector from the lightweight stainless steel mesh of industrial filters. They include recycled fibers that were used in construction and/or for the transport of sugar, grains, or stones. There is one thing is hard to ignore. They seem like blow-up pieces of furniture, something that is inflated with air. Nevertheless, it's something that will give you a low-level light all around, replacing some lights in the living room which might be used elsewhere. I find this project kind of interesting. Tacky, but interesting. [via Gizmodo, photos via Meritalia]