Like Shelton Davis' Pallet Adirondack Chair, this furniture idea was born out of a desire to solve a problem.

Designer Ramon Coronado was struck by the trash problem in Los Angeles, especially the abandoned shopping carts around his neighborhood near MacArthur Park. He decided to turn an urban eyesore into something useful, and the Mercado Negro (Black Market) furniture line was the result!

Coronado said he saw these carts as a symbol of the poverty in the neighborhood, but he also saw them as an opportunity. Coronado explains the project: "I took it upon myself to take a shopping cart and make a statement with it. I reclaimed LA's iconic shopping cart and created furniture for kids to enjoy in these urban Los Angeles areas. The project is a criticism of the scarcity of recreational functions for kids growing up in a dense city like Los Angeles."

He not only designed the chair, table, and lamp set pictured at the top of the post, but Coronado also turned shopping cart parts into swings for neighborhood kids to use!

It's heart-warming to see designers like Coronado and Davis using their skills to improve their communities! They really show that with a little creativity, you can transform a perceived problem into something useful and beautiful. To learn more about the Mercado Negro project and see photos of the furniture, swings, and the process to make them, check out Coronado's website!

[h/t dornob]