Human contact is necessary to thrive as a person. We need the comforting reassurance of another person’s presence and touch, but luckily the things in our homes have no such needs. We touch them become we need to, but not because they need us. Would our interaction with our home objects change if they could respond to our touch?

A series of touch-sensitive furniture from designer NunoErin playfully explores the link between humans and the objects around us. Colorful lights under the surface of each piece appear when the furniture is touched by a human hand – or any other body part, for that matter.

The furniture pieces react to the electrical field associated with the human body. Running your fingers along the top of a bench or table causes a shimmering wave of light effects. Made with renewable surface materials, the furniture is meant to encourage the exploration of a tangible, physical and visual link between the our own actions and the objects with which we interact.

These pieces are from NunoErin’s “Sparkle” collection.

“The experience of light and touch is universally pleasing, eliciting wonder from people of all ages. As playful glowing lights dance magically on the surfaces of our Sparkle products, people are drawn to touch, discover, recharge and connect with new and uplifting sensory experiences.”

“Sparkle encourages the exploration of delightful shifts in color and pattern that awaken a child-like desire to touch, discover and play. The experience of light and touch is universally pleasing, eliciting wonder from people of all ages. As playful glowing lights dance magically on the surfaces of our Sparkle products, people are drawn to touch, discover, recharge and connect with new and uplifting sensory experiences.”

“The experience of light and touch is universally pleasing, eliciting wonder from people of all ages. As playful glowing lights dance magically on the surfaces of our Sparkle products, people are drawn to touch, discover, recharge and connect with new and uplifting sensory experiences.”