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.
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.
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.
I was browsing some of numerous furniture design blogs out there and came across this interesting piece of work over at the Reuben Miller blog: a laser-cut table. It still makes me shake my head in wonder at how people use both art and technology together to create something unique and, attractive, and functional.
Made in Germany, the table is the result of a collaboration between Chuck Anderson and Lars Amhoff. The artwork adorning the table’s surface and legs was supplied by Anderson (who runs a company called Nopattern) while the physical creation of the table was done by Amhoff (via his Kinkyform Art and Design group).
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.
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.
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.
Table in natural or black stained oak. The table top is composed of fourteen staves; the base has three legs. The special configuration of the top and the leg placement allow dynamic and flexible table usage, also by a greater number of persons with respect to a traditional configuration.
It is well known that the most famous Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret models would perhaps never have existed as we know them had it not been for Charlotte Perriand. Cassina is proud to introduce the Charlotte Perriend Collection as the newest entry to its Masters Series.