Smart lighting has taken over our homes with promises of infinite color options, app controls, and automated schedules that supposedly make life easier and more convenient. Yet for all their digital sophistication, these systems often feel cold and disconnected from the spaces they illuminate. César Moncaut’s Pop-up Lamp takes a refreshingly analog approach, proving that sometimes the most elegant lighting solutions come from folded paper, solid wood, and simple manual interaction.
The lamp’s design centers around a precision-cut paper shade that pops into a three-dimensional geometric form when assembled by hand, not unlike children’s pop-up books, hence the name. The folded paper creates clean, architectural lines that feel both modern and timeless, while the cardboard “cover” gives it a bit of rigidity, enough to hold its place on walls or even in corners.
Designer: César Moncaut
What makes the Pop-up Lamp particularly compelling is its tactile approach to color changing without any digital complexity or smartphone apps required for operation. Available in vibrant yellow, rich red, and various shades of green and blue, each paper shade casts a distinctly different glow when lit by a standard LED bulb. Want to shift from energizing yellow to calming blue? Simply flip over the “page” and switch to a different color.
The interaction feels almost meditative compared to scrolling through color wheels on a smartphone screen or shouting commands at voice assistants throughout your home. There’s something deeply satisfying about physically handling the lamp components, turning pages of paper, and seeing the immediate transformation in your space. The lightweight construction means you can easily move the lamp from room to room or reposition it as your needs change.
Moncaut’s choice of materials reflects thoughtful consideration of both aesthetics and environmental impact in an industry often dominated by plastic and complex electronics. The paper shades are easily recyclable and can likewise be sourced from recycled scraps. Local production in the Netherlands supports small-scale manufacturing and reduces the carbon footprint associated with global shipping and mass production that characterizes most lighting products today.
The Pop-up Lamp addresses a fundamental disconnect between how we want to feel in our homes and how most modern lighting makes us feel. Instead of adding another app to manage or another device to troubleshoot, it offers a return to tactile, mindful interaction with our environment. The lamp becomes a small ritual of color and mood adjustment that encourages us to slow down and actively participate in creating atmosphere.
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