MILAN PREVIEW: Light Emitting Wallpaper by Jonas Samon

by Ariana Mouyiaris, 04/12/08

filed under: Decorative Objects, green Interiors, Green Lighting, Milan Furniture Fair

With alternative lighting solutions becoming a typical consideration in sustainable interior design, Jonas Samson’s illuminated wallpaper is set to take the Salone Internazionale del Mobile and its design junkies by storm. A clever mix of the graphic, textile-inspired papers of the recent-past and organic technologies of the future, his light-emitting wallpaper happily straddles the fence between kiddie night-light and inventive design feature. It’s eco-credentials: turning a two-dimensional surface into a light source versus the traditional bulb/lamp construct.

Although we’ll have to wait till the Milan fair to find out the exact technology, this Light-Emitting Wallpaper harkens back to recent products exploring digital paper by Miquel Mora, part of the Flat Futures project– developed by the Royal College of Art Design Interactions Department– showcased at the MoMA’s ‘Design and the Elastic Mind’ exhibition. By using developments like e-ink and OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes) that enable electronic components to be printed and transferred onto flat and rollable surfaces Mora believes, “Objects will wear technology instead of carrying it inside…The technology will become their skin.”

+ Jonas Samson
+ Groene Honden, jong ontwerp
+ Design and the Elastic Mind
+ RCA Design Interactions

8 Comments

amsamoto July 9, 2009 at 10:51 am

We have worked with a company in Cleveland, GPI Design, they use Green LED technology to develop feature walls with many different surfaces – their focus is turnkey solutions in surface/structural/light, experienced team there. They have a flat light panel that can create this effect. I love it myself, we have it spec’d on over 10 projects.
ian de mink February 5, 2009 at 1:44 pm

this site is super cool, I am currently studing interior design and this site make ideas possiable.WOW ,love it
wikkee April 25, 2008 at 10:14 am

but isn’t this like the things from illumi8 ??
either way..I love it
www.jcrid.com April 15, 2008 at 12:54 pm

i agree with your comment (Jiji N), presumably the product (if developed) would only make sense if the power consumption was so lo as to be negligible.

it does look pretty stunning though; i’m imagining a future with multi layer/multi colour images phasing across the ceiling like the northern lights.
hukado April 13, 2008 at 2:35 pm

This is very cool stuff. I can imagine this as a very mainstream products. I saw this story on Engadget and /Products.
Jiji N April 13, 2008 at 7:38 am

I have an open mind, but it seems to me that adding energy use to something that never used energy before may not be a green idea. However there’s not enough information to really tell, although the picture on the left appears to have been taken in a more traditionally lighted room.
Ariana Mouyiaris April 13, 2008 at 5:34 am

still waiting to find out myself and hoping to speak with the designer at the fair this week. will be sure to post any updates but the same questions came to my mind: how much light can be generated (enough to read/ work by depending on print), how long would it last if it’s organically printed electronics, what is the cost for the technology/upkeep and use. For some reason, I don’t think that there would be a huge amount of heat generated as the layer of lighting printed paper would be so thin.
davidm April 12, 2008 at 10:40 pm

I have been wondering for a while if an LED type projector could be used for an interesting light source / constant video wall. Any comments regarding issues like heat production and cost vs conventional lighting? I realize the image projected could be a factor since a darking image may not produce enough light.