It’s hard to imagine now, but 20 years ago, before all these digital mp3 files, iPods and Internet radio, new music was largely limited to the cassette tape—those low-quality, humming plastic devices that your kids will laugh at someday (if they don’t already). But the iconic tape is coming back, and through the discerning eye of a few clever designers, the once clunky gadget can look whimsical, comical—even stylish.
Above: Chair
Made entirely out of cassette tapes, the classic school chair gets graphic with the medium’s type, color, and texture. This piece and the lamps (in the next slide) are a part of a collection called “Cassette is Not Dead” by Spanish architect and designer, Vanesa Moreno; her tribute as she says, "to music tapes, which kept us company all through the ’80s and became a symbol of a generation."
Cassette chair, ooomydesign.com.
Lamp
Jazz up a room with these radiant cassette tape lamps from ooomydesign. Each recycled tape is fastened together by plastic zip ties to create the encased light fixture. It comes in three sizes: a small rectangular lamp, a box lamp or a floor lamp.
Cassette Tape Lamps;ooomydesign.com.
Wallet
Fit all of your current knickknacks and bills into these retro hand-made wallets, created by the Italian designer, Marcella Foschi. The tape has been sliced down the middle and the plastic face applied to each side of the pouch—so it flaps open like a normal (but awesome) coin purse.
Cassette Wallet, DesignBoom.
Mirror
Get a glimpse into the past with this funky Umbra Cassetta Mirror. 35 chrome-plated vintage tapes line the circumference of the glass. Feel free to bust out some old ’80s pop and apply blue eye shadow.
Umbra Cassetta Mirror, Umbra.com.
See six more cassette tape finds in the full article on PointClickHome.com.
Tell us which one's your favorite!
