In this age of digital hyper-consumerism, the question cannot be escaped: what do we do with all the gadgets we buy once they no longer work, or (gasp!) we ditch the old device for the latest version? Sure, you can toss them into the ever-expanding island of garbage floating in the ocean, or you can get creative and build something new out of something (relatively) old (a process known as a TRASHformation in my world!). That’s what David Maloney, founder of the site The News is Broken and DIY enthusiast, did, fashioning a coffee table out of old circuit boards and computer parts. It turns out that electronic waste is some of the most difficult to dispose of properly. Potentially hazardous materials found in electronic devices make them dangerous to recycle and to throw away. But Maloney found a way around all that by using his discarded computers—saved up over several years—to build a futuristic piece of furniture that reveals the intricate inner-workings of his old devices. The results, illuminated using embedded LED puck lights and LED light bars, are surprisingly beautiful and pay fitting homage to our obsession with technology, past and present.

Thanks to The News is Broken for the images.