Natural Material Studio turns leftover seaweed into lighting for Sticks n Sushi

Copenhagen-based Natural Material Studio has created speckled pendant lighting from kelp waste salvaged from miso soup at Sticks n Sushi in Lyngby, Denmark. The lighting is made from layers of bespoke biotextiles crafted using seaweed and spirulina algae leftover from dishes at the Japanese-Danish fusion restaurant. Studio founder Bonnie Hvillum distilled and dehydrated the kelp and algae, then incorporated them into semi-translucent slabs of Procel, the studio's patented protein-based biopolymer. Each fixture features a rectilinear frame with an LED light source, hung with layered biotextiles. The project was part of a recent interior renovation led by architect Emily Broom, informed by Japanese minimalism. Hvillum also created noren room dividers from the same material. The biotextiles are natural, biodegradable, compostable at home, and can be remelted, making them circular. Hvillum previously built a prototype home from bioplastic for 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen.