Commercial Tables.Com

Do you remember the TV show Friends? Popular during the 1990s, one of the central gathering places of the cast of characters was a coffee shop, called Central Perk, in New York City. They’d sit on a big sofa and armchairs, with their coffee mugs resting on a coffee table in front of them. This scene is replicated in cafes all over the world, from big chains like Starbucks to individual neighborhood cafes.

There are many coffee table designs, and Vu Unlimited has added its own contribution to the mix. But it’s one that has the potential to appear in more than just one design. The table top of the Vu Coffee Table can be customized according to an establishment owner’s preference, choosing either plain frosted or a printed acrylic. Numerous designs are available for viewing on Vu’s online gallery, or if you have a design of your own in mind, you can send it to them as a digital file and that’s what they will print on the table’s surface.

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There’s an old saying that starts with something like “Who does not love wine, women and song?” Well, Dutch furniture designer Mario Philippona loves women, at least. In fact, he loves the shape of the female body and the parts of a woman’s anatomy so much that they inspire his work to a great degree.

Take this piece he calls Widespread, for example. The shape of the table’s legs – feet encased in high heels – would give away the fact that it takes its inspiration from something that many find sexy in a woman. Just those alone, plus maybe the attractive Dutch elm wood of which it is made, are already great topics for conversation if it’s featured as part of a bar furniture set. But once they take a closer look at the table top and realize what the groove where the wine bottle rests is, then whoa! I can imagine surprised silence, then either gasps of shock, or laughter. And more conversation, of course. In any case, it would be hard to argue against the fact that it’s a fine example of craftsmanship.

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Ceramic has industrial and decorative functions, and many times it’s a combination of both. Let’s take hospitality industry tables, for example: contract bar tables, restaurant tables, hotel lounge tables, and the like. Ceramic finishes add a touch of elegance to such tables. And this was what struck me when I saw the Keramik Table Collection, which was designed by Bruno Fattorini.

I should say though that the tables in this collection aren’t actually made from ceramic. The frames and legs are of aluminium are finished in matte lacquer in light grey, anthracite grey, or white. No, it’s only the table top (which is made of glass) that has a ceramic finish. The ceramic finish is 3mm thick, and is available in white, light and medium grey, and anthracite grey.

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Looking at the charming and whimsical marine-inspired furniture created by Israeli designer Ayala Serfaty brings to mind the lyrics of the Beatles song, “Octopus’s Garden”:

I’d like to be under the sea

In an octopus’s garden in the shade…

Well, restaurant-goers in Israel can’t really have their meals in an octopus’s garden, but they probably have the next best thing. A unique dining experience has been provided for them by Serfaty through her designs for modern bar tables, restaurant tables, and chairs, and lighting fixtures for The Red Sea Star.

This establishment is situated in what’s been called the “Riviera of the Red Sea.” It is an underwater restaurant, bar and observatory – the only one of its kind in the world. It is located seventy meters, twenty feet below sea level, off the shore of Eilat in Israel.

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Many five-star or deluxe hotels have a luxurious image to live up to and this they do most assiduously, from the grand perspective (like their overall architecture) down to the tiniest details (like the toiletries they provide). Their opulence is also reinforced by the hotel furniture we see in them. Some opt for ultra-modern glass and steel while others go for heavy, traditional looks with wooden furnishings and fittings.

Less well-known or grandiose hotels manage to reproduce a degree of their higher-end counterparts’ atmosphere of extravagance by choosing and showcasing classy but less expensive accoutrements. Reproduction furniture plays a big part in this. With replicas, hotels that especially want to project a genteel but luxurious aura achieve this for the fraction of the price of a genuine antique.

Some examples of reproduction furniture are the so-called MC tables. These would look great as part of a hotel’s reception area furniture set. Having a beechwood frame stained to a standard color or done according to a client’s preferred shade, they are available in several variations, having either circular, square, or rectangular table tops in various sizes.

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What do you get when you combine imagination, technology, and hard work? If you’re someone like Simon Giles, you might just come up with something like what he calls the “mu,” a lighTable sculpture that shimmers and shines, illuminating your drinks and food with bright, flashing lights. This most high-tech table surely ranks among other bar and bistro tables UK establishment owners would find interesting. I certainly think it wouldn’t look out of place in a trendy nightclub or a vibrant bar.

According to information from Giles’ website, billycan.org, the lighTable has 12V 0.24W white light-emitting diodes (LED)-driven fiber optics embedded in the table top. These spread out radially between the layers of the table’s clear acrylic top. The 12V 3.5W (RGB) LED in the base is from Lighthouse Electronics; it is remote-controlled. A quartz sphere measuring 55 mm lies in the middle of the support while a crystal glass sphere measuring 110 mm crowns the top. It’s but one example of Giles’ penchant for modern furniture and lighting, a most intriguing blend between the two.

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Does having the right kind of restaurant table and the way they’re arranged affect a restaurant’s earnings? According to a study conducted by Professor Gary Thompson of Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) a few years ago, they certainly do – whether they’re indoor coffee tables or outdoor bar tables.

In a study titled “Dedicated or Combinable,” Thompson revealed the results of research on how the use of dedicated tables – or those that are constructed for specific party sizes – and combinable tables – or those small tables that can be pushed together to accommodate a larger party – impacts a restaurant’s revenue.

Following are some highlights of the study:

• Dedicated tables produce the most revenue for mid-size restaurants, especially chain restaurants, which commonly serve large walk-in parties.

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Restaurateurs who are looking for retro-style diner tables and chairs will welcome the news that AmericanChairs.com is holding a sale on 1950’s-style diner tables and chairs. They made it public recently that these items are available for QuickShip Delivery.

This comes as timely news indeed, for the tables and chairs can be ordered right up to the week before the 2007 Christmas holiday season. Though modern bar chairs and tables are very popular among various diners and restaurants, it cannot be denied that eating establishments whose decor is inspired by 1950s and 1960s furniture, music, and ambiance have their own following. The baby boomer generation, which has been growing by leaps and bounds over the recent years, is an especially profitabe market for these retro diners and restaurants.

These retro-themed tables and chairs are made to last and there are various mix-and-match options. Quality does not come at an unreasonable cost; the models available are in fact affordable, bringing more value for each dollar spent. These tables and chairs are are available in various shapes and sizes and can be customized with numerous laminates. Let’s take a look at two retro diner tables from AmericanChairs.com.

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A habit of mine as a kid that always used to drive my mom crazy was my apparent inability to distinguish real wooden furniture from fake “wooden-looking” furniture as I set down my drinks. I like to drink water - and lots of it. Working at home gets boring and a cold refreshing bottle of mineral water gets me going again.

Now that I’m out on my own I’m glad my mom cussed me out so many times about putting my cold drinks on her wooden tables. During those cursing sessions my mom taught me how to clean up the water spots that the cold drinks would leave behind. This is how it’s done:

Step 1: Get a good thick paper towel (like Bounty) and spread a couple spoons of mayoneise on it.

Step 2: Lightly press down on the water mark with the paper towel.

Step 3: Go think about why you shouldn’t leave cold drinks on wooden furniture for ten or fifteen minutes while that mayo sets into the stain.

Step 4: Check the stain and see if your damage has been repaired. If not, add more mayo and leave it for another 10-15 minutes.

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For commercial dining al fresco, bar and restaurant furniture like outdoor bistro tables are essential. One example of such a restaurant table that is suited to outdoor applications is the Nanoo nan01, from nanoo by faserplast. This small table has a top that can be folded and detached, making it easy to store away after a restaurant’s closing hours.

Several options are available for this table’s base: stainless steel, steel that has been galvanically zinc-plated, and hot dip galvanized steel. The tabletop comes in several colours and two shapes: round and square, and are available in two sizes. The table’s height is the same, though, for both the square and round versions: 74 centimetres.

Observations have been made about how sidewalks in major cities all over the world have added “eating-drinking locale” to their original job description and function, which of course is being the part of the street where pedestrians walk. Increasingly, though, much of that space is being occupied by eateries’ tables and chairs. Maybe this is because restaurateurs and bistro and bar owners try to catch more walk-in traffic by making their establishments look easier to access, and what better way to do that than to set tables and chairs out where potential patrons can see and use them? Besides, it would be easier and far cheaper for the owners of these establishments to buy and set up outdoor bar furniture and the like on the sidewalk than to expand their interiors or build new rooms inside their premises to accommodate more customers.

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