MUSHROOMS: Lampshades from mycelium

Last weekend the Wall Street Journal ran an interesting piece about Danielle Trofe, a Brooklyn lamp designer who creates lampshades using mycelium (mushroom roots). "Ms. Trofe packs a mix of corn-crop debris, mycelium and hemp into a mold, then adds water and flour to activate the mycelium," wrote the reporter. After five days, "she plops the solidified shape out like a bundt cake and lets its outer layer turn white with exposure to the air for a day." The biodegradable shades are part of her "Mush-Lume" collection.