What if the table WAS the lamp? This must have been the question Jo Meester asked himself before creating this very enchanting piece of furniture. Illuminated from within, Light Box sheds light via 8,000 holes throughout its modern surface.

Light Box. Designed by Jo Meester.

In combination with the pattern of low growing trees, Light Box is the ideal room divider forming an artificial hedge or a nocturnal landscape with your home.

And Jonas Samson’s high-tech light-emitting wallpaper, introduced at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, surely breaks down barriers between decor and entertainment. Turned “off” it appears to be traditional wall covering. But once activated, sit back and enjoy the show.

What does this say about the future of design? Many things. First, it’s clear that these innovators appreciate the mood altering effects of light. It can be romantic, dramatic, calming, energizing – just to name a few. But it also signals that we have reached a new level of what I call useful experimentation.

Light Emitting Wallpaper. Designed by Jonas Samson.

While some artistic feats seem to simply be for art’s sake, these two creations serve an immediate marketable purpose. We can – and should – use them. The once standard object now is the art. And in this case: the lamp as well.

So do I think lamps will go by the wayside? Not a chance. But I do think that creations like these open us to the possibility of rooms that don’t require table lamps. Which begs the question… what will you do with that new found tabletop space?