Journal
Driftwood lamps: from the stream to your table
By Cristina y Rafa2 min read
Driftwood is wood carried by rivers and streams down to their mouths. Over the years the current and the sand polish it into shapes nobody could carve. Turning it into a lamp means treating it against insects, drying it, removing weak parts by hand and fitting the electrics in a way that respects its shape.
What it is: wood carried by water down to the mouth of rivers and streams.
Why it is special: water and sand polish it into unique shapes.
How we prepare it: insect treatment, drying and cleaning by hand.
The result: lamps that are never repeated, like Eucalyptus adrift.
What driftwood is
It is wood carried by water: branches and trunks that fall into a river or a stream and travel with the current down to its mouth.
Along the way, water and sand polish it. They wear away the sharp edges and the soft parts, leaving a smooth surface and shapes nobody could carve.
Where we find it
We search the mouths of rivers and streams. The wood for Eucalyptus adrift, for example, turned up in a small stream on the coast of Malaga.
Not everything the water brings is usable. We choose sound pieces, with a shape that holds and a grain worth showing.
From the stream to the workshop
- Insect treatment. We apply treatments against woodworm and other insects, preventively and, when needed, curatively.
- Drying. The wood rests in our warehouse until it reaches the right moisture level. It can take months.
- Cleaning. We remove weakened parts by hand, keeping the shape the water gave it.
- Assembly. We design the lamp around the piece: where it rests, where the light comes out and where the cable runs.
Eucalyptus adrift, the piece
Eucalyptus adrift is a small table lamp: 23 cm tall, on an eucalyptus base of 12 × 12 cm.
It has a beige linen shade, an E27 lamp holder that takes up to 60 W and a 1.8 m cable with an in-line switch.
You can see the whole piece, with all its photos, on its product page.
How to care for it
- Bulb: LED only, which runs much cooler.
- Cleaning: with a damp cloth.
- Oil: once a year, to nourish the wood.
Every driftwood piece is unique
Water never leaves two pieces of wood alike, so no two lamps are the same either. If you like a piece that has already sold, we can make you a similar one: see how bespoke lamps work.
We explain the other sources of our wood in materials and provenance.
