Milan 2014: these lamp shades by Eindhoven design graduates Sander Wassink and Ma'ayan Pesach are made from vintage and discarded glass stuck together with brightly coloured resin that creates a tinted light.

Design Academy Eindhoven graduates Wassink and Pesach began to collect used glass during research for an earlier project and started to experiment with light when they were subsequently approached to create lamps for a new hotel.

By stacking the glass in different configurations, they realised the unwanted objects could be used to create unique light fittings that became more interesting with the introduction of colour.

"People often tend to replace and renew their surroundings, and therefore there is an unbelievable amount and quality of objects left behind," Pesach told Dezeen. "We both prefer to work with existing materials, or at least to make interesting combinations from old and new."

The designers combined everyday clear glass objects including plates, bowls, cups and vases with varying shapes and surface patterns to create layered arrangements.

Sourced from second-hand shops and markets in and around Eindhoven, the pieces are all of different ages and are selected for the quality of the glass and the potential of the shapes to stack neatly.

Once the glass objects have been arranged, pigmented resin is poured into the gaps between the layers and fixes them in place when it sets.

Thin copper wires connect the glass shades to the lamp housing, which contain an LED light source providing a low temperature light that will not damage to the resin.

The light source is suspended above the layered shade, which becomes a coloured diffuser that tints the glass surfaces when it shines onto the resin.

"Every new piece we are making remains a surprise," Pesach said. "It's unpredictable to know in advance precisely how the colour will react on each glass we found, since they are all made differently."

Wassink and Pesach exhibited the Stacked Lights at Spazio Rossana Orlandi during Milan design week. The designers intend to expand the series using glass sourced from further afield and plan to develop versions that can be consistently reproduced using specially made glass pieces.

Photography is by Ronald Smits, except where stated otherwise.