Interacting with objects not in your inventory?

Is there a way, for example, to light a lamp without picking it up? Or to add batteries to a food dehydrator that isn’t in your inventory, or do you have to pick everything up to manipulate it?

Some interactions are possible, like consuming an item (E). Not sure if the whole extent of actions are, though.

That would be a great feature. So annoying to have to pick up the lamp, do something, turn it on, turn it off, drop.