From simple toggle switches, we’ve moved on to lighting-control panels as complex as sound-mixing boards. But the new switches can be activated with a wave of the hand, allowing boxes to be turned into wall art—or even concealed behind the wall (just remember where you put them).
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Portable Music Devices
Photo by Owen Franken/Corbis (left)
Today’s lightweight portable-music devices allow you to play that funky music without having to take steroids. But just because they’re small doesn’t mean they’re totally invisible—white headphones and colorful cases broadcast your iPod-owning status.
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Air Conditioners
Photo by Stephanie Rausser/Getty Images (left)
Air-conditioning units have generally been prime examples of function over form. But this is no longer the case, with new products like LG’s Art Cool, an ultraslim unit that doubles as room decoration.
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Heating Systems
Photo by Abode/Beateworks/Corbis (left); Elizabeth Felicella/Beateworks/Corbis (right)
Once, we decked our radiators with carved screens and cast-iron embellishments. Today, heating systems are invisible under floors.
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Media Centers
Photo by Ira Montgomery/Getty Images (left); Joachim Ladefoged (right)
Into the late 1990s, “media centers” were all about stacking big, boxy components up to the ceiling. Now, it’s all sleek, seamless, and out of sight.
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Refrigerators
Photo by Getty Images
The bulky iceboxes of yore could barely store leftovers and a six-pack of Schlitz. But today’s smart refrigerators, designed to disappear into the background, have features like “professional temperature management.”
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Televisions
Photo by Getty Images (left), Corbis
A decade ago, everyone was hiding bulky televisions in armoires. With the advent of skinny screens, the TV is again front and center.
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