The idea for the Kraft lampshade originated when I was messing around with some paper samples I had from G.F.Smith. These samples had been laying around for some time and I kept picking them up, thinking “I’d love to make something with these” and putting them back down again.

One day I noticed the texture of these two particular sheets of paper under a light and thought how intriguing they were. The Transclear (210gsm) and Takeo Kraft (120gsm) were probably the least interesting samples I had but the texture that was revealed told another story.

I tested each paper individually at different distances from a bulb to see how each sample diffused the light. On their own I didn’t think they had the best effect but when combined they gave a subtle, warm light while still displaying the texture of both papers.

I then designed a 3D printable frame to house both pieces of paper. After a couple of revisions to refine the fit, I discovered that the outer sheet wanted to splay out at the top, so I turned in the ends of the frame to counteract this and keep the paper vertical.