Products
I’ve got a Coconut Leaf Lamp
Jul
I ordered a Coconut Leaf Lamp
These Coconut Leaf Lamp things have fascinated me for a long time, as have the other bits and pieces that are constructed using materials made from the discarded parts of coconut trees that might otherwise be classed as waste, thereby leaving something else that would need to be disposed of.
I don’t like throwing things away – I never have – and so to discover a manufacturing industry founded on the same idea is somewhat uplifting. I think the whole concept of recycling, reusing and repurposing is something to aspire to and something we should all support, and to that end I also have a collection of recycled glass vases and bowls, but that’s for another time.
Choosing my Style
So, I looked on site, and saw that there was a choice of six coconut leaf lamp styles, with varying colour schemes, and a variety of shapes. They had names like “loop”, “twist”, “wrapover” and “wrapover twist”, which sort of describes the overall shape, and they come in Natural, Whitewash, Greywash and Chocolate.
The number of options available is less than the number of possible style and colour permutations, so a bit of flexibility goes a long way – I found one that I liked, I’m sure you will find one that you like too.
I chose the Natural Wrapover option, which includes, like they all do, the standard lampshade made from strands of cotton stretched and glued over a balloon.
I ordered my lamp, and it was delivered by courier, two days later. I think that had I ordered before lunchtime, I could well have been delivered the following day.
Delivery Day
The box arrived and no, I didn’t record an unboxing video. I suppose I could always repack, reseal and then reopen for the camera, but I am pretty sure that I am not going to.
The lamp is well packaged and the packaging indicates that the lamp began its journey in Indonesia. It’s good to know that my purchase is going some way towards helping maintain a small scale business ecosystem on the other side of the world.
There are other markings on the box, like the name, logo and web address of the importer. When I was looking for suppliers, these guys moved quickly to the top of my list. They are based in Sheffield, which isn’t far from where I come from and they seem to operate under similar ethical principles to my own.
Opening the Box
I opened the box, carefully because I didn’t know what I would find, even though I could tell from shaking it that everything was packed in tightly.
Inside the box, the coconut leaf lamp framework was packed by itself, its movement restricted by the fact that it is the same size as the box. Underneath the framework, there was another, smaller box and a brown shredded cardboard package.
The smaller box was protecting the cotton lamp shade and the shredded packaging had been used to wrap up and secure everything else.
I opened the smaller box to reveal the lampshade and opened the shredded cardboard packaging to see the electrical components.
Coconut Leaf Lamp Components
We can now see the Coconut Leaf Lamp framework, which shows the structure of the leaf and the position of the four legs, and the mount for the light fitting at the bottom.
To the left in the photograph is the cotton lamp shade, and there is a hole at the bottom of the shade to slot over the mount.
In the foreground, you can see the wire, the plug (in this case, a UK plug), an inline switch and the bulb holder. There are also two lightly sprung grips that are used to hold the shade in place.
The Coconut Leaf lamp is supplied with a low wattage LED bulb, which is absolutely the right choice for this bit of kit. The low wattage LED bulb gives off plenty of light for this application, LED bulbs last considerably longer than their incandescent equivalent and they use only a fraction of the energy.
Final Construction
The lamp holder component is fed up through a hole at the base of the mount, and is held in place by the spring clips.
The LED bulb, which is a standard sized Eddison Screw Thread, is screwed into the lamp holder, and then it’s tested.
Once everything is confirmed as working, the shade is fitted. The shade is also secured using the spring clips.
The Coconut Leaf lamp has now gone through all the stages of its construction, it is now complete and ready to go.
Coconut leaf lamps are a sustainable choice, making the most of discarded coconut leaves rather than relying on manufacture of alternative, resource-intensive materials.
This eco-friendly approach reduces waste and promotes a circular economy, making them a great way to illuminate your home with a clear conscience.
