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Imagine a blank wall, plain and simple. Maybe a small tree design and a bird to make things interesting.
Dutch designer Jonas Samson is lighting the way for a new take on wallpaper. It’s animated. It’s customizable. It would make my tiny bathroom so bright I could pluck my eyebrows at night. Imagine that. No, not my eyebrows. The wallpaper.
The wallpaper is constructed with several layers, each serving a different purpose to ultimately create a lit surface. To quote the designer (stolen from this website, I don’t have the kind of clout to ask for an interview):
The back layer is a silver-based solution that conducts electricity, while the layer above this contains phosphorous pigments that light up. On top of this is a flexible, transparent ITO conductor layer, with regular wallpaper placed on top to act as the final, outwardly visual layer.
The UK is apparently getting in on the action, too. The materials, called OLEDs (see here for the tech talk), are being researched as a new alternative for energy efficient lighting. Carbon emissions make up approximately one sixth of total UK energy use, making OLED applications – including wallpaper – extremely appealing. This means our traditional lightbulbs could go the way of cassette tapes and VCRs.
The product is still in its prototype phase (read: not ready for regular folks like me), but I suppose it’s for the best. I wouldn’t want to give my bathroom this much oomph only to move out in three years, anyway. What do you think? Too much or the next big thing?
Whoa! That totally just blew my mind. That is SO COOL! I can see in 10, 20 years this thing (if all goes well with it) being everywhere in homes and stores. It's way cool!
~Chelsea
Love that!
You know I'd be all over this- I want it for Savannah's room NOW!