In New York, Ecovative Design is selling mushroom and hemp-growing kits so consumers can grow their own lamp shades, bowls, and planters. Mushroom’s mycelium acts like glue with corn stalk and hemp to bind together to make the new home products. With a strong DIY culture, the timing seems right for Ecovative to help people grow their own lamp in about eight days. Once grown and molded, it’s baked in the oven to preserve its shape and prevent mold. If you get tired of the lamp, break it up into small pieces and throw it in the garden or lawn where it will degrade in about a month.
As we reported in NUU before, Ecovative uses mushrooms to make wall art and tiles for New York office buildings, but this new offering moves them into the consumer market and into people’s homes, making it a great conversation piece when someone asks “where did you get that lamp?”