The LiliLite: A better way to read in bed
By Rain Noe From Core77
A clever automatic light, bookmark, and book storage all in one
Here’s a brilliant little piece of industrial design: Amsterdam-based Thijs Smeets has carefully considered the way people read in bed, and devised the LiliLite to meet every need within that seemingly simple act.
The light comes from directly overhead, providing even light on both sides of your book, as opposed to the sidecast light that comes with having a lamp on an endtable.
The very form provides the bookmark, allowing you to simply hang your open book onto the Lililite’s peak. The side can be used to hold more books (Smeets write that it will hold five kilograms, about 11 pounds).
Most clever is that the light is automatic. When you place your book onto the peak, a sensor turns the light off. Pull the book off and the light comes on.
And the design can be mounted in either direction by swapping the light around.
I do wish he hadn’t Photoshopped the power cable out of the press images, as that’s an important consideration for the buyer.

Additionally, there are a couple of practical issues. The LiliLite was formerly sold through Smeets’ website, and by comparing photographs of the original object with the new images for the Kickstarter campaign, we can clearly see that he’s Photoshopped the mounting bracket out. (You Photoshop users will easily spot the marks.)
That makes us wonder if there is some issue with the mounting brackets, or if Smeets has simply redesigned them to not be visible.
On both the campaign page and his original website, there is no mention of how the LiliLite is meant to be attached to the wall. Simple physics, however, dictate that it’s attached at the two vertices of the form. Given that the horizontal distance between them is certainly shorter than the 16-inches-on-center of wall studs in American houses, at least one bracket will require a drywall anchor or toggle bolt. With things that are mounted over your head as you sleep, correct installation on the part of the end user is obviously very important. (Not to mention getting the height correct, something I could see me screwing up.)
If Smeets can communicate these important issues to would-be buyers—perhaps a video showing the do-ability of installation—I think he stands a good chance of reaching his $70,000 goal (at press time he was at $15,000 with 28 days left). I think the LiliLite is a clever design that really considers the user experience, and I’ve never seen anything like it on the market. Well done!
For more and the video for the Kickstarter campaign: http://www.core77.com/posts/38195/The-LiliLite-A-Better-Way-to-Read-in-Bed?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+core77%2Fblog+%28Core77.com%29