The then-tiny Nanoleaf team had just landed a patent on their bespoke interactive lighting technology, and on Nuit Blanche had set up multiple decorative lighting displays in the atrium of the MaRS building at College and University. One setup mimicked a lily pond: press on a Nanoleaf panel anywhere in the grid, and watch as the light “rippled” outwards from panel to panel. It was impressive, it was a novelty, it was something I never imagined I would one day mount on my living room wall.

Fast-forward all these years later, and Nanoleaf is thriving, an honest-to-goodness homegrown success story. For the three University of Toronto engineering students, Gimmy Chu, Christian Yan, and Tom Rodinger, who launched a modest crowdfunding campaign in 2013, it’s impressive to see how far they’ve come. That includes, as of 2024, offices in Toronto, China, and Australia, and celebrity endorsements from the likes of both Thor and Loki (i.e., Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston).

Thanks to Nanoleaf, who sent us a selection of their products to try out at home, we recently had our own opportunity to see just how well Nanoleaf integrates into a modern living space.

Nanoleaf‘s “smart home” products are centred on the company’s bespoke integrated modular light panels. Of these, the “Shapes”, “Elements”, and “Lines” product lines have proven most popular, with Nanoleaf offering various starter and expansion packs to build out anyone’s collection.

For our Nanoleaf experience, we tried out a combination of the Hexagon Shapes and faux wood-panelled Hexagon Elements “Smarter” Kits, plus some extra hexagon panels for optional expansion.

Each starter kit comes with seven tiles which, thanks to modular connectors which attach to any side, can be configured – and re-configured – into any shape of your choosing. There’s even a space on the Nanoleaf website to get you inspired with fun ideas. (And if you’re not sure about designing your own, you can order kits like these suspiciously familiar-looking “Dark Fighter” and “Retro Gamer” bundles.)

It took us perhaps two hours to design and then mount our first-ever Nanoleaf display, deciding on a mix of the wood-grain hexagons on one wall, and the brightly coloured base hexagons on another.

Of the two kits, we’re ever-so-slightly partial to the wood-panelled version. Although it lacks the multicolour options of the base kit – the “wooden” tiles only display in shades of yellow – the effect of glowing wood is striking and elegant. The base kit, on the other hand, offers a more diverse array of colour options, allowing you to cycle through colours with the touch of a physical button or through the accompanying app.

Speaking of which: while we found the app finicky – it doesn’t immediately pick up the Bluetooth signal of nearby Nanoleaf displays, and it sometimes fumbled when we tried to interact with it on our phones – it overall does the job: by syncing with your various Nanoleaf setups, you can adjust everything from colours to brightness to the light patterns that dance from panel to panel.

Perhaps the niftiest thing about Nanoleaf is the way its products respond to their environment. The default Rhythm Music Visualizer causes the light panels to pulse along with the ambient noise of the room, which can be great for parties when the music is blasting. The Screen Mirror function, on the other hand, teaches the panels to match the visual palette of what you’re currently watching, or for that matter playing, on TV.

Unsurprisingly, Nanoleaf has proven a huge hit among the gamer demographic, offering a bevy of lighting options ideal for a console or PC gaming setup, and even offering a custom gamer-friendly designer tool on its website. Nanoleaf is also a great option for nightclubs or performance spaces; just check out Nanoleaf‘s tutorial on integrating with any DJ kit.

While we’re still toying around with our Nanoleaf, trying to find the perfect way to recreate the novelty of our first encounter at Nuit Blanche, it’s proven a wonderful bit of technology to enliven any space, from office to bedroom to gamer hangout. Nanoleaf products keep coming and coming; check out the website for great gift ideas with the holiday season just around the corner!

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For more on Nanoleaf and to order your “Shapes” or wood-styled “Elements“, check out the Nanoleaf website.

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