Finally another post about a design made out of car parts. These objects are quite popular among upcycle designers. Why? I just think that there are so many discarded cars with an enormous amount of interesting parts waiting to get a second life. On upcycleDZINE there have been quite a few designs made out of car parts. If you’re interested you could head on over to a post showing 11 upcycle design ideas using car parts.
Today upcycleDZINE is adding another upcycle design to that great list of 11 ideas. The design is by one of my favorite upcycle designers Rodney Allen Trice, founder of T.O.M.T.™. His fantastic work has been featured here several times.

Bring back the 70s with upcycled hubcaps

Once in awhile I visit Rodney’s Etsy shop looking for new pieces. And that’s where I saw this incredible cool chandelier made out of hubcaps. Rodney Allen Trice started this piece many years ago. He was working with a circular fluorescent tube. But that type of bulb and light didn’t inspire him to go on. Until he had the idea to use chrome-top bulbs. This had exactly the right look and feel that he was searching for.

Rodney Allen Trice:

“It made me think in terms of ball bearing rollers and all kind of objects that simply made sense. With a fresh shiny white outer coating, the reflecting light inside the enclosure created by the two hubcaps pulled together gives it a super-future 70s kind of look.”

He’s a designer with a stunning collection of upcycle design pieces. A few examples of his unique work are the Beaker-Wok Chandelier and another design called Chopsticks Tripod Lamp.

T.O.M.T.™. was founded in 1994 by Rodney Allen Trice and is based in Brooklyn | New York. This upcycle company is dedicated to object recovery and reassignment on ‘God’s Green Earth’. According to Rodney: “That’s why we’re here, and as we grow, it continues to be an interesting journey! Though recycling seems to be the obvious mission, we prefer the term ‘refitting‘. Our process is more ‘object career counseling’ than waste-handling. Simplicity is paramount, and integrity to both mid-century modern aesthetics and the original object’s first identity a must.”

The website of T.O.M.T.™ states that his awareness of our need to conserve the Earth’s resources has grown significantly since his endeavor began at the beginning of this century. As has his concern for a future where no one will be insulated from the need to make the most of the objects around us.
Rodney Allen Trice:

“I believe we all must do our part, think beyond just separating plastic, paper, glass. We must teach ourselves and learn as habit to see more than just a ‘rain shield’ in an umbrella, a ‘dust collector’ in a vacuum and a ‘shoe for our car’ in an old tire. When we do that, the Earth will become a safer place for the children of the 21st century and, from my experience, A LOT MORE FUN, TOO!”

Please visit his site to see his collection and check out his new stuff.

Design by T.O.M.T. | Etsy