The Design Journey of the Ikat Tepi Lamp
This article is best read with the design iterations in front of you during our lighting showcase at The Holiday Shop, Kloe Hotel. The design iterations 01 - 06 are laid out in front of you from left to right. Feel free to touch and handle the iterations as you read about the design journey. We hope you enjoy this journey as much as we did!
How It All Started
The idea for the Ikat Tepi Lamp came about in the most ordinary way.
We were driving around Johor Bahru, stopped at a traffic light, when a motorcyclist pulled up in front of us. In his hand was an ikat tepi drink — tied up, hanging loosely as he waited for the light to turn green.
It was a familiar sight. One we’d seen countless times before.
But in that brief pause, something stood out.
The way it hung. The way light passed through it. How such a simple object had quietly become part of everyday Malaysian life.
That moment sparked a question we couldn’t shake:
What if we made this into a lamp?
What followed was not a straight path, but a series of iterations, resets, and refinements that eventually shaped the Ikat Tepi Lamp as it exists today.
Iteration 01
Deconstructing the Ikat Tepi
The Ikat Tepi Lamp began with a very literal translation of its inspiration, breaking the iconic shape into three distinct components, each representing a part of an ikat tepi drink bag:
- Top component — symbolising the tied-up portion of the plastic bag
- Middle component — housing the LED unit, with a small ring designed to attach a phone lanyard or leather strap, representing the tied grip of the ikat tepi.
- Bottom component — the lamp shade itself, representing the bag with the drink inside but a more contemporary shape.
Each part had a clear intention. Conceptually, it made sense. Unfortunately in reality, it looked more like a pineapple....
As a whole, the design lacked cohesion. You can see both lanyard options attached on iteration 01 in front of you just to illustrate this point. The transitions between components felt forced, and the form didn’t yet feel calm or resolved. It was an important first step — one that helped define what we wanted to say, even if how was still unclear.
Iteration 02
Keeping the Structure, Growing the Base
For the second iteration, we chose to retain the original three-part system.
The top and middle components remained unchanged. Instead, we focused on evolving the bottom lamp shade, exploring a larger, more organic form to give the lamp more presence.
While visually interesting, this version introduced two problems:
- The enlarged base made the lamp feel too big and bottom-heavy, losing the casual, everyday quality of an ikat tepi
- Print quality suffered, with surface inconsistencies becoming more noticeable at scale
The structure was still conceptually sound — but the proportions and execution weren’t working.
Iteration 03
Smaller Scale, Same Limitations
Iteration three was a direct refinement of Iteration two.
Once again, the top and middle components stayed the same, preserving the original design logic. The only change was a scaled-down bottom shade, intended to restore balance and usability.
While the proportions improved, the technical challenges remained.
Despite extensive experimentation with print settings, orientations, and configurations, the surface quality still failed to meet our standards. It became clear that the issue wasn’t just size — it was the overall approach.
At this point, we paused work on the Ikat Tepi Lamp.
Iterations 1–3 were developed just a few months after launching Lampu Lampu, and the project stayed dormant until three months after the launch of the Kami Lamp, when we returned with fresh perspective and deeper technical understanding.
Iteration 04
Resetting Everything
Iteration four marked a complete reset of the design language.
Up until this point, the Ikat Tepi Lamp relied on a three-part construction — top, middle, and bottom. While faithful to the inspiration, this complexity was holding the design back.
So we stripped everything away.
This iteration abandoned the three-part system entirely and moved to a simpler two-part construction:
- A single, continuous lamp shade that defined the silhouette
- A hidden base inserted at the bottom, where the LED unit now sat discreetly out of sight
By relocating the bulb unit from the middle to the bottom, the lamp instantly felt calmer, more resolved, and closer to the object it was inspired by.
Visually, this was the first version that truly resembled the ikat tepi everyone recognises — familiar, tapered, and unforced.
Technically, however, it was still challenging.
At this stage, the lamp was not printed using vase mode. Each print took nearly 10 hours, and despite the long print times, surface quality was inconsistent.
What is vase mode?
Vase mode is a 3D-printing technique where the printer creates an object in one continuous spiral motion, forming a single smooth wall. When done correctly, it results in:
- Cleaner surfaces
- Fewer visible print lines
- Shorter and more efficient print times
Even though the prints weren’t perfect yet, this iteration defined the final silhouette — the foundation everything else would build upon.
It was also around this time that we identified paracord as the ideal hanging material — a considered upgrade from the leather or phone style lanyard, offering durability and a quiet sense of refinement.
Iteration 05
The Slit Experiment
To unlock the benefits of vase mode printing, we experimented by adding a slit to the design.
Technically, it worked. The lamp could now be printed in vase mode, resulting in much better surface quality and significantly reduced print times.
But new problems surfaced:
- The slit compromised how securely the lamp shade held the LED base
- Visually, it felt ambiguous — it risked being mistaken for a printing defect rather than a design decision
While the lamp looked better at first glance, it introduced uncertainty. And that wasn’t something we were willing to accept.
Iteration 06
The Final (Well, Almost!) Ikat Tepi Lamp
The breakthrough came when we returned to the original silhouette from Iteration four — this time with deeper technical understanding.
By carefully refining print settings, we managed to achieve vase mode printing without altering the external form or needing a slit. This allowed us to:
- Preserve the familiar ikat tepi silhouette
- Achieve smooth, consistent surface quality
- Reduce print times without sacrificing structure
With the form resolved, attention turned to the details:
- Metal aglets were added to neatly finish the ends of the paracord
- We learned and adopted a lanyard knot, giving the hanging system a deliberate, crafted finish
A Final Touch: The Inner Shade
As a final refinement, we introduced an inner shade.
This subtle addition transformed how light interacted with the lamp, creating an illusion reminiscent of water held within the form — echoing the very essence of an ikat tepi.
This is the Ikat Tepi Lamp as it exists today — shaped by iteration, restraint, and care. The one everyone knows and loves.
P.S. We’ve received many requests to add a straw to the design.
That wasn’t something we wanted to do. Straws can be added easily — and cheaply — without needing to be 3D printed. For us, good design is also about restraint: using material only where it adds meaning, and resisting the urge to add features simply because we can.