Where Other People See Trash, They See the Light

The dedicated thrifter has a very specific problem: there are far more intriguing objects than uses or places to put them. Thankfully, there’s a social media account that offers a path forward. The premise of Rory Shamlian and Clay Mohrman’s charming joint project is simple, to the point, and exactly what the name promises: Will It Lamp? And if so, how?

The pair film their videos in a shared studio space, often with a backdrop of simple wooden shelves against a white wall, loaded with the tools of their trade. Much of any video will simply be the two of them trying things out—examining objects, turning them over in their hands, and holding up various potential shade options. They’ve "lamped" a mannequin foot, decorative duck plates, a bowling ball, a carved gourd, Bag Balm tins, green plastic bowls, and even, in one memorable video, a clear glass head that Mohrman found at Goodwill. They’re dedicated to found materials, and periodically, they post a thrift store haul, showing off their latest acquisitions for possible lamp treatment. "I got this over at the lamp shop the other day, when I was literally looking at their trash," Shamlian once casually revealed.

Their style as hosts is chatty, collaborative, relaxed, and playful. Now and then they do funny little voices in the unguarded manner of close friends goofing around. Sometimes, they work in companionable silence; sometimes, they intersperse their work with expressions of delight. Mohrman in particular is prone to "oh my Godddd."

The pair met and became fast friends bartending in Burlington, Vermont, while working to get their own firms off the ground. ("When you’re starting a business up, the hustle is real," says Shamlian.) Mohrman, who worked previously at a Boston-based company that manufactures architectural lighting fixtures, now does sculptural lighting design as Clay Mohr Lighting, where he creates most often with wood and LED. Shamlian runs Rory Pots, a ceramic lighting studio; her designs have appeared in Dwell and Architectural Digest. She started off doing tabletop wares, but a part-time job at a lamp repair shop steered her work in a new direction. The experience also gave her exposure to a broad range of design eras: "We had everything come through, from original Art Deco chandeliers to Louis Poulsens," she says.