The founder in front of her home in Northern norway

A Hunger for Creating

Hi, I'm Alex, a designer and language scientist living in Tromsø, Norway, with my partner and two cats.

I'm also the founder of the Leaf & Hunger Studio.

We make completely unique, 99% sustainable*, elegant, whimsical, airy, tactile lamps, inspired by nature and Norwegian landscapes, and fueled by the endless supply of Norwegian leftover yarn.  

We aim to provide an alternative to mass produced, far travelled, often plastic mainstream lights.

The idea was born when I made the first lamp for our new home out of the yarn and wire I had at home, titled Morning Glory 1. You will notice that this one is not on offer in the store.

The Leaf & Hunger studio enabled me to marry several of my passions: design, handwork, sustainability, nature, lighting.

I am thrilled to share these unique designs with you.

Follow us if you'd like to glimpse the pieces in progress and processes behind the scenes.

Thank you for visiting!

Newest yarn find

How our lights are made

The process begins with browsing leftover or second-hand yarn at local and online thrift stores (Save Yarn had been particularly useful). I consider the color, the composition, texture, thickness, quantity, locality, and choose the most inspiring yarns.

The qualities of each yarn and my imagination determine what the final piece will look like. 

I use original crochet patterns, often created on the spot. Sometimes the original idea doesn't pan out, so I try again.

After finishing the crochet piece, I insert, manually shape, and crochet over the stainless steel support wire. The only non-sustainable part of our pieces is the polyamide shrinking tube which connects the wire, a more durable and sturdier alternative to welding.

Even when everything goes smoothly, each piece takes several days to complete.

Thank you, sheep

Why wool for lamp shades?

Wool is a natural, sustainable material, in most cases renewable and humane.

Particularly in Norway, knitting is very popular and wool is the material of choice for its temperature regulation properties. There is thus an almost endless supply of beautiful quality yarn leftover from projects, which finds its way to secondhand markets. Leaf & Hunger Studio uses exclusively secondhand unused yarn, ensuring maximum sustainability. 

As wool is a porous material, similar to human hair, it beautifully absorbs dyes and refracts color, giving a colorful tint to light that passes through the shades.

Wool can be wonderfully soft and fine, and at Leaf & Hunger, we use the softest brushed or baby alpaca, or yarn mixed with silk. This makes the lamp shades tactile and comforting.

Wool is one of the lightest materials, which allows for grandiose designs while ensuring low carbon footprint during transportation. It also ensures that the lamp shades are safe to use and would not cause harm even in the case of falling.

Last but most important, wool is fire resistant and fire retardant, making it particularly appropriate for light sculptures.

As with most natural materials, it is truly a wonder fiber.

Find the answers

What light fixture is included with the Ceiling Lamp option?

With all ceiling lamps (other than the Kala series), the Leaf & Hunger Studio lamp shades will be installed on the black ceiling light fixture with the E27 bulb socket, 2 m woven cable, a ceiling cup, and cable connector box (product page).

With the Kala series lights (White Kala, Kala Lilje 1, Kala Lilje 2), the shades will be installed on the black light fixture with the E14 socket, 3.5 m woven cable, and European contact (product page).

Please contact us prior to ordering if you wish your L&H shade to be installed on another color or variant of light fixtures available in Norway.

How easy is it to install L&H lamp shades on existing light fixtures?

L&H lamp shades are designed to easily fit over existing light fixture sockets with the max. diameter of , without disassembling or taking down the fixture.

You should simply:

  • put the included white cable stopper over the cable
  • loosen the opening at the top of the shade
  • slip the shade over the socket
  • tighten the top opening with the included same-color tie above the cable stopper.

The white cable stopper easily holds the weight of the lamp shade, yet allows for repositioning of the lamp shade on the cable. This allows you to choose where the light bulb will sit within the shade, whether more or less exposed.

Are the materials safe for light fixtures?

Wool is the majority fiber in all lamps other than Morning Glory 2.

According to The Woolmark Company:

"Wool textiles have the highest natural fire resistance compared to other untreated textiles, such as cotton or polyester. Wool is less likely to ignite and, if circumstances cause the fibre to burn, it does not melt or drip and will self-extinguish."

As such, it is safe to use in light fixtures, and safer than other polyester fabric alternatives.

Nevertheless, we recommend the use of LED bulbs with L&H shades to further decrease the risk of fire.

How sustainable are Leaf & Hunger fixtures?

Sustainability is the reason why Leaf & Hunger Studio exists.

All lamp shades are created by hand out of leftover second-hand yarn sourced primarily from fellow crafters in the northern Norway.

All other materials are also sourced in Norway.

The secondary material is the stainless steel support wire. The only non-sustainable element of the lamp shades is the heat shrinking tube used to connect the wire.

How do I care for my Leaf & Hunger lampshade?

If your L&H lampshades accumulate dust, lightly dust them off with a dry microfiber cloth, or remove and lightly pat outside to release dust.

Careful vacuuming on the lowest setting can also remove dust.

As other textile lamps, L&H lampshades don't typically have to be washed. If there is a stain, spot treat it with cold water and vinegar solution (max 1/2 vinegar solution) or mild wool-safe soap. Extraordinarily, it is possible to wash the lampshade: remove it and carefully wash it in cold water with wool detergent, then air dry.