Not Your Ordinary Book Light, A Reading Light Inside of a Gutted Book

Designer Steve Hoefer of Grathio Labs has handcrafted a unique light fixture by gutting a used book, in this case Lauren Belfer’s City of Light, and creating a reading lamp. With just a few afternoons, you could make your own lamp with the how-to DIY instructions and clear step-by-step photographs available at Grathio Labs.

Friends have regularly recommended books as being particularly illuminating, but I admit that after opening them I was as in the dark as ever. Since I’m not one to let a good metaphor go unmolested (and because design schools seem to constantly create designers whose job it is to make ugly lamps) I made this.

It turns off when its closed and gives off a variable amount of light depending on how far you open it, up to about a 40W light equivalent. It gives a nice warm, soft light and it looks right at home on my bedside table.

via Rachel Fershleiser