The Lufa collection by Fernando Laposse

Loofah is usually something you associate with kitchen and bath products. This is actually one of its many uses. Loofah is in fact an edible fruit related to the pumpkin and cucumber. It’s quite popular in Asia. The fruit grown vertically and it attaches itself to trees, leaving little to no roots behind when harvested. It’s a very sustainable fruit with only 6 months of harvest time. Given these elements, as well as fact that it allows extensive use, loofah offers unique natural characteristics that make it very intriguing and that invite designers to find new uses for it.

Loofah Series by Fernando Laposee9

Fernando Laposse decided to go out of the box and managed to use this impressive fruit to create an intriguing furniture and accessory collection. He took advantage of the fruit’s natural qualities that include lightness, heat insulation and texture and he came up with some very interesting designs. When mixed with cement and wood, the result was a nice balance that the designer used in his advantage. The loofah was first flattened and then integrated into the structure, thus becoming a part of the whole. It was a bold choice and the result was quite surprising.

Loofah Series by Fernando Laposee9
Loofah Series by Fernando Laposee9
Loofah Series by Fernando Laposee9
Loofah Series by Fernando Laposee9
Loofah Series by Fernando Laposee9
Loofah Series by Fernando Laposee9
Loofah Series by Fernando Laposee9
Loofah Series by Fernando Laposee9

The designer used loofah in a variety of different ways. For example, he created a partition that, when placed near a light source, creates a diffused light and allows you to see through the partition. He also used loofah to create an interesting desk. In this case the idea was to add depth without adding weights and this was the perfect material for that. The collection also includes a series of planter vases with a beautiful texture and a series of terra-cotta and loofah combinations. Overall, it’s a unique and very bold collection that expands our perception of something as simple and as common as the loofah fruit.{found on yatzer}.