LED bulb casts a multicoloured shadow

Dutch designer Dennis Parren has developed an LED bulb that casts shadows in cyan, magenta and yellow.

We all know that white light is created when different coloured wavelengths combine. So what happens when you use that phenomenon to create a light bulb?

That's exactly what Dutch designer Dennis Parren did when he developed his CMYK bulb. Well, sort of. Expanded from his original CMYK Lamp 2011 graduation project from Design Academy Eindhoven, Netherlands, the bulb consists of a white LED light source pointing downwards (what we assume to be the "K" part of CMYK) — and placed equidistantly around the bulb, cyan, magenta and yellow LEDs facing up.

This has the rather fun and fascinating effect of casting a triple shadow from whatever comes in front of the LEDs — one in each of the three colours.

"It's the first light bulb that creates coloured shadows, which also can be very wonderful with existing shades," Parren said on his website — but the designer has also created a shade of his own to go with the bulb. Called "Diamond", the polypropylene is folded into the faceted shape of a cut stone, with tiny holes that allow the light to escape and sparkle in the different colours.

"I chose this shape because the light sparkles through the little holes like a real diamond," Parren said. "The cheapest diamond ever made."

The E27 screw-in CMYK bulb is available for €95, or the bulb and Diamond shade for €160, both from Parren's website.

Via www.dezeen.com