This multifunctional table, designed by Italian studio Crop, consists of two parts – wooden tray and upholstered cubes. The cubes can be used as ottomans and provide extra seating in a guest entertaining situation. They can also serve as freestanding side or end tables around the room. The design includes two sizes and two color palettes, warm and cool.
Xcentric is a coffee table set, created by Serbian designer Goci Bjelajac. The set is comprised of two identical but mirrored tables, which you can put together to create various configurations. Each piece can also function as a free-standing end table to provide storage where it is needed. Xcentic us quite stable too, it stands on rubber legs, hidden beneath the lower board, which in turn can be used as a newspaper rack.
Fun, flat-pack and DIY – this table has it all. Designed by Patrick Carmody and Kfir Shetrit of OCD (which stands for Obsessively Crafted Design), the Mudo table is a great example of a 3d structure that can fold completely flat when stored or transported. The piece is cut out of a 1/4″ thick sheet of Masonite and covered with plastic laminate on both sides. The manufacturing process leaves very little waist, which can give you satisfaction of owning an eco-conscious piece of furniture. Not to mention the joy of assembling it yourself. Hard to beat that…
This piece, called Mushiki, was created by Tomas Alonso of London based design company Okay Studio for Arco. Inspired by Japanese steaming pots (hence the name), the piece can be compiled from several round structures, which turn to reveal generous storage inside. The movement happens via rotation around the wooden column. The Mushiki table, just like its culinary predecessor, is made from bamboo, a strong and sustainable material. The modules are available in two sizes.
This elegant table set from 3patas is based on the idea of seamlessly blending three pieces in one. Called 3×3, the set can be arranged in various configurations or neatly combined to form a family. When the smaller tables are being used, the openings can be filled with the perfectly fitting bowls. Here is what the designers say about this unusual project: ‘After researching different users, we found that in many cases, they were living with limited space (such as inner city lofts) and were searching for solutions which could adapt to their various requirements. Whether it be entertaining friends, having a coffee, watching TV or simply eating dinner, the adaptability of 3×3 makes the table an attractive solution for these users.’
The Clouds coffee table set is a lovely versatile design from Mark Hark. When used as one piece the lines create a textured effect of real clouds. The set may also be separated into three individual pieces and used as a series of occasional tables around the room. Made from oak veneer on high-quality medium density fiberboard (MDF), the Clouds set comes in three colors – white, black and walnut. If they make it in frosted glass – my life will be complete…
The 3:1 table is a cool creation by Chicago based studio TJOKEEFE. Their signature is in playing with geometry and distilling an object down to its essential parts. Powerful form and efficiency is what TJ O’Keefe, the founder of the studio, strives to achieve. This table, for example, is a clever geometric set of nesting tables, each of which can function independently. Even if scattered around the room, the pieces ‘interact’ with each other, creating a visual tension. The 3:1 table is made of matte powder-coated aluminum.
This piece from British designer John Green is so multifunctional, I cannot say affirmatively what it is. Depending on your needs, it can be a coffee table, a magazine rack, a media storage, a laptop table, a stool, a bench, a kid’s desk, even a tray for breakfast in bed. It is called Embrace, because of the two pieces that are ’embraced’ together to form a storage space in between. The item, a proud winner of several awards (including Grand Designs Awards Product of the Year’11), was presented during this year’s New York Design Week.
Jigsaw is a modular coffee table designed by Belgian designer Linde Hermans for Mooz. It is comprised of four independent angular pieces that can be arranged into different configurations or placed separately around your home. These L-shaped wedges can be used as handy companions to the furniture you already have, because they fit perfectly around corners. Manufactured from a single piece of steel, the Jigsaw table is minimalistic and adaptable. Smart stuff!
If you think about it – a coffee table is one of the most used and abused items in our home. It serves as a footrest, a book storage, a dinner table, an occasional desk and more. So, if it plays so many different roles, shouldn’t it change shapes too? Designers at Nódesign studio thought it should and created Elos – an adjustable coffee table that can be transformed to your liking. The movable segments look like molecules and can literary ‘diffuse’ into any configuration. You can put them together for a bigger table, or stretch them into a line to accomodate more people. By putting a leg below each pivot point, designers made Elos stable as well as flexible. Brilliant.
