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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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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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Wobbly tables belong in my list of pet peeves. I just find it so annoying when I sit down at a coffee table and have my drink spill over the mug just because extra weight on the other side of the table or any slight movement makes it tremble as if there had been an earthquake. That’s why I was kind of leery when I came across the Suppenkaspar table, created by German designers Nina Farsen and Isabel Schöllhammer, over at Designspotter.com. (By the way, Designspotter features lots of interesting designs, quite a few of them weird and wacky – but wonderful, nevertheless).

Back to the Suppenkaspar table. At first glance it would appear that it stands only on two legs, and technically that would be right. Only two solid legs, located diagonally opposite each other, support the table: an ideal scenario for wobbliness. But that doesn’t happen because the missing legs are made up for by special weights attached to the table by thin, nearly invisible strings. And somehow the whole setup creates stability.

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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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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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This is the latest addition to the Bombo range designed by Stefano Giovannoni who was born in Italy in 1954.

The Little Bombo Table is adjustable in height controlled by a gas piston.

The clean and elegant design will complement any establishment that is looking for a modern touch of style. The base is made from steel that has been zinc plated with an ABS cover, and the top is also ABS.

The piece is available in grey anthracite, white, and also  in metallic silver.