Commercial Tables.Com

Furniture for your bar or restaurant should be attractive and functional at the same time. A balance between the two would be nice because no matter how eye-catching it is, if it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient to use on the part of either the owner or customer then it would put a major crimp in the restaurant’s operation. But then going with plain-Jane types of tables and chairs is not such a good idea either, because customers come to a dining establishment not only for the food but also for its ambiance, and stylish restaurant or bar furniture goes a long way towards creating a positive atmosphere.

The Honeycomb cafe table from Panelite seems to be one good example of that balance between visual aesthetics and functionality. For one thing, it is certainly no eyesore. The shape and form proclaim it to be a member of the classic bar table clique, but it deviates from the norm in several ways. First, the table top is available in a variety of bright colors such as orange, red, dark red, green, magenta, and several shades of blue. Second, the surface of the table top is characterized by an unusual honeycomb resin composite. It doesn’t detract from the surface’s degree of levelness; I mean, I don’t think guests’ drinking glasses will tip over or anything like that. The honeycomb resin was developed by the founders of Panelite as a solution to a design problem. The company is a leading manufacturer of honeycomb panels.

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There are only a few more days left before we say bye-bye to 2007 and hello to 2008. And some of the things that are commonly seen and experienced while ushering in the New Year are food – lots of it – and fireworks. Now, if you own a restaurant, there are a number of ways you can jazz up your establishment even more to help your customers celebrate the event.

For one thing, bright colors are the way to go. Since it’s still part of the holiday season, it’s still okay to use the traditional reds and greens, but you can also add touches of shiny golds and silvers since they give off such a celebratory air. Upholster your contract reception seating in colorful and luxurious fabrics. If you own an Oriental-themed restaurant, you can also adorn areas with objects associated with good luck, like coins (fake ones, of course) and figures of animals such as frogs, which are believed to be harbingers of prosperity.

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London, Berlin, Rome. What do these three have in common? Well, they are three of the biggest, most cosmopolitan, and most popular cities in Western Europe, cities known as major business and tourist destinations, multicultural, and rich in history. But aside from that, what else? Well, they are the names of three cocktail tables from Eboniste.

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There’s a popular rhyme that goes “Sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s what little girls are made of.” It seems to me that that is also what the Bon Bon Tables by Dutch-French designer Tord Boontje are made of. Not quite, of course. But they look so charming, so sweet and delicate, that it could very well be so.

I mean, just look at the illustrations printed onto the table top: there’s butterflies, flowers and more flowers of varying shapes and sizes, all looking like they were gracefully painted with a thin brush. Though bright in appearance, there are no loud, glaring colors here. Everything is smooth, elegant, delicate. If you own a café or restaurant and are going for a light, almost spring-like atmosphere, then these tables would do admirably as commercial café furniture. Boontje doesn’t seem to have matching chairs for these tables, but he does have a chair called Sweetie. That would do, I think.

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Sometimes I come across furniture items that, if their dimensions were increased a thousandfold, would actually look good as buildings or other similar structures. But as they are, they look like terrific examples of architecture on a small scale. One example would be the Boboli Table by Italian designer Rodolfo Dordoni.

The table’s base brings to mind the facades of some modern buildings. While maybe no existing one may look exactly like that, it isn’t too farfetched to imagine one looking like it. There are two versions of this table, but both basically have the same base structure, which looks like a cage of some sort. However, they aren’t like animal enclosures or jail cells in that they don’t look like rigid bars. If you indulge your fancies for a minute, the thought just might enter your mind that the eye-catching aluminum strips that form the base are somewhat like strips of fabric that establish boundaries, or maybe something that does not keep the one inside from going out, but the outside from coming in.

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It’s funny how things that we take for granted have a deeper meaning of which we are unaware. Sometimes things that seem mundane actually signify something. I confess that these meanings escape me most of the time. Maybe that’s why I’m not too appreciative of some modern art installation. For example, at an exhibit I will see what seems to be just a limp spaghetti noodle covered in ink and silvery glitter, but which to the artist signifies the lameness of the Big Bang Theory.

But the meaning behind the Plaza Table, designed by Vicente García Jiménez, I can get. According to Bonluxat, where I saw this table, the name derives from a large city where the paths of people from different walks of life cross. It gives expression to myriad voices, thoughts and personalities. Not bad at all for a source of inspiration. I wonder if bar chairs that he creates share a similar sentiment?

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Many restaurants have outdoor sections, which are popular with patrons especially if the weather is nice on a certain day or night.  Some of the ones I’ve been to are really cool: they were the venues for wedding receptions and birthday parties. One of them had a terrific view of a volcano in a lake. That kind of scenery would be hard to beat inside a restaurant, no matter how attractive the design.  Whether your restaurant is holding a big event or not, and you have a garden location, it’s important to have some large tables to accommodate large groups of patrons. One good example of a large table suitable for commercial purposes is the Gargantua Garden Table by Dirk Wynants.

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Serenity, now that’s a state of a lot of us would aspire to reach on a daily basis. But with the stress of everyday living, the chances to do so sometimes come far and between. But sometimes even small occurrences or items can bring a measure of peace. Looking at something green, for instance, is said to evoke calmness. The Serenissimo Table by David Law, Lella Vignelli and Massimo Vignelli over at Bonluxat for some reason seems to inspire serenity.

Is it the heavy-looking base or the glass table top? I don’t really know. But the whole table sure looks good. The original table, released in 1985, has a metal frame in a natural finish, while the legs are finished in either metal titanium or in Venetian stucco, also known as Encausto, in several colors including green, blue, white, red, and grey. The crystal top is 15 mm thick and undergoes special treatment to give it a smoky, semi-opalescent finish. I’m not sure if it would be suitable as outdoor bar furniture, but it looks sturdy enough.

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I never realized letters of the alphabet could constitute an inspiration for a piece of furniture, but it has happened. Belgian designer Xavier Lust came up with something he calls the S Table. No, it isn’t the table top that is shaped like the letter S, that would make for awkward dining. Rather, it is the base that curves gracefully in a serpentine manner. If you look at it from above, you will see the S shape, although it would seem you were looking at it through a looking glass because the S appears in reverse form.

The round table top is available in two forms: thick tempered clear glass that measures 15 mm thick or medium density wood fiberboards measuring 20 mm thick and lacquered in matte white finish – which is scratch-resistant. Both versions seem suitable for their use as, say, commercial bistro tables, since it seems they would be able to withstand the wear and tear that furniture in commercial settings usually undergoes. Tabletop diameters are available in either 130 cm or 150 cm, and table heights vary between 73.5 cm and 74 cm.

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What would a hotel room be without a bedside table? These pieces of furniture might not get as much attention as, say, café tables, but that does not mean they are any less important. It’s just that maybe hotel guests take them for granted, especially since other pieces of furniture in a hotel room, like the bed, take center stage. A bedside table is so handy, it usually holds that lamp for nighttime reading, and the drawers are there for guests to place small belongings out of sight but within reach.

The Reve Bedside Table designed by Niels Bendtsen of Denmark seems to be one of those pieces of furniture that do not scream “look at me!” No, it looks to be one of those things that stand solidly in the background, content to just do its job and let others take the limelight. But its functionality cannot be denied. With its large drawer and spacious compartment, it would serve hotel patrons well, particularly those who can’t seem to travel lightly for some reason and always bring along a dozen gadgets that they like to keep near to their person all the time.

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Christmas is fast approaching and in many parts of the world, and it’s a sure bet that dining tables both at home and in restaurants will somehow be festooned for the occasion. Lots of people dine out especially during the holiday season: after shopping for Christmas presents (after all, preparing a meal at home after a day on your feet simply seems like too much work), on Christmas Day itself, and on New Year’s Eve. It’s a time for celebration, and many people just want to go out and enjoy the holiday cheer where they don’t have to worry about cleaning up afterwards!

There have been neat Christmas table decorations I’ve seen at many restaurants over the years. Most of them are quite simple, really. I could see that the ornaments weren’t that expensive. Still, they didn’t look cheap at all.

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