Cool Hunting

by Tisha Leung

Juxtaposing found objects with fanciful arrangements of light, Warren Muller morphs the two elements into one-of-a-kind chandeliers and sculptures. Scouring salvage yards and sidewalks, Muller (who started his career as a performance artist) injects kinetic drama with clusters and rows of small bulbs. More recently, the bulk of his work incorporates personal items from clients, recycling forgotten or cherished things from their home and handing over their memories in the form of sculpture.

To date, the most unusual material offered by a client is a mini station wagon. Brought by a man who ran a car repair shop, Muller transformed the vehicle into a fetching $200,000 chandelier. On average, a small table lamp goes for around $850 and a custom chandelier ranges between $9,500-$18,000.

Based in Philadelphia, Muller shares the seven-year-old company with his partner, RJ Thornburg, who executes the interior design part of the business. The two of them comprise Bahdeebahdu, which, for those curious, loosely translates to "You give me, I give you."