Tag Archives: coffee tables

Geometric coffee tables use 3D printing robots and recycled plastic to create organic forms

Posted on by

3D printing has come a long way, but unless you’re using industrial printers in large factories, you’re probably limited to creating small designs or just parts of a whole. That, unfortunately, means that creators and makers aren’t able to fully express their ideas and designs, at least not those that involve pieces that can’t fit inside a commercial 3D printer. That said, you don’t have to give up your creative freedom to use an expensive production line if you can put 3D printing robots to smart use, like this sustainable plastic coffee table that is able to form organic geometric forms just by making the robot arm loop round and round.

Designer: Martin Zampach

When people think of 3D printers, they most likely think of those boxy contraptions sitting on tables, with nozzles that quickly run back and forth while oozing out hot plastic material in order to build up a three-dimensional object almost like from thin air. While this is the most common and most convenient kind of 3D printing, it has severe limitations in the size or shape of the object being made, basically anything that can fit the area and height of the printer.

LOOPS is a collection of coffee tables conceived to push the envelope of 3D printing and create objects that are larger than normal without requiring additional hardware. An industrial 3D printing robot pretty much goes round and round to create the base shape, building layer after layer of composite material until the desired form is achieved. This is the process used for creating the base of these tables, allowing the designer to apply different geometric shapes with organic forms that look like they’re literally growing before your very eyes.

The coffee tables are more than just experiments in 3D printing, they are also testaments to beautiful sustainable design. Tabletops are made from 100% recycled plastic that is crushed, melted, and then moulded from used plastic. The 3D printed bases, on the other hand, are made from composite material containing cellulose from responsible forestry. When the tables reach the end of their use, both the base and the top can be recycled or reused to extend their life in a different way.

The LOOPS coffee table collection offers a unique and novel design that pushes the boundaries of 3D printing to produce beautiful shapes and textures that almost resemble traditional ceramic creations. The variety of recycled plastics used gives each tabletop a unique appearance, both in color as well as in texture. The minimalist yet elegant designs make the coffee tables the perfect artistic centerpieces for any space, offering a thought-provoking design that opens your mind to the possibilities of sustainable 3D printing.

The post Geometric coffee tables use 3D printing robots and recycled plastic to create organic forms first appeared on Yanko Design.

Playful coffee table concept brings Piet Mondrian’s three colors to your home

Posted on by

Coffee tables, sofas, side tables, and shelves have all become points of interest and pride these days. Since they usually become the visual centers of a room, owners take the opportunity to use furniture that either reflects their interests and personality or, at the very least, shows off their design tastes. The variety of designs for tables and chairs can range from the ultra-minimalist to the highly elaborate, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. You don’t have to go overboard, however, just to make a memorable impact. This table, for example, is nothing but a few circles, one of which isn’t even full, and three colors, but the asymmetric combination gives it a vibrant and playful character, especially once you start looking at it from different angles.

Designer: Miguel Pinheira

Rendered on KeyShot: Click Here to Download Your Free Trial Now!

Dutch artist Pier Mondrian showed that it doesn’t take much to leave a lasting impression. His famed “Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow” simply used three colors, aside from black and white, and asymmetrical shapes to create a masterpiece that would be remembered for decades. This harmony of contrasts and economy of colors are what inspired this peculiar table design, resulting in a piece that, while artistic, also conveys some of that tension between elements in a lively manner.

Instead of squares, the RYB Coffee Table uses two circles and a half circle joined by transparent rods that make the circles look as if they’re floating on air. The three pieces serve different functions, like a tabletop, a secondary table, and a magazine or vinyl record holder. The top circle can even be removed and placed in a different position, making the design a bit modular.

While the main parts can be made of different materials and use a monochromatic scheme, the best effect is achieved with translucent or transparent material and sticking to the original red, yellow, and blue triplet. This particular combination really brings out the table’s personality, making it look like hard candy or stained glass. Even better, looking at the different pieces through each other can bring out other colors, like green resulting from mixing yellow and blue.

In terms of functionality, however, the RYB Coffee Table is probably better as a side table, though it will still manage to grab anyone’s attention, regardless of its location. Its arrangement makes it look a little unbalanced visually, which could make some people hesitate to put anything fragile on top. That’s also why it’s probably better off to the side rather than as a centerpiece, lending a bit of vibrancy and life to the room without getting in the way.

The post Playful coffee table concept brings Piet Mondrian’s three colors to your home first appeared on Yanko Design.

Gorgeous gem-like coffee tables might make you feel like grabbing a soda

Posted on by

It might not have been the original intention, but coffee tables have pretty much become more decorative than functional these days. Of course, they still serve as tables you put things on, including your coffee, but they are mostly designed to have more visual impact these days. It’s not unusual for this kind of table to have some eye-catching shape or color or both, acting as a center of attraction as well as a conversation starter. These glass-blown coffee tables are perfect examples of such furniture, capturing your visitors’ eyes, imaginations, and probably even appetites with their elegant forms, gem-like colors, and dynamic surfaces that may entice you to pour yourself a bubbly drink.

Designer: Yiannis Ghikas

A glass table might not be the most practical piece of furniture because of its fragility, especially if the entire table, including the legs, is made up of that material. Things get even more complicated if you’re attempting to make a sizable table out of a single piece of glass that is air-blown like traditional glass pieces. It’s that technical difficulty that makes the Soda coffee tables all the more impressive and mind-blowing, pretty much like a glass-blown art piece.

The production of such a masterpiece is no easy feat. It’s made upside-down, blown from a single glass volume, and shaped by no less than three master glassmakers. Complicating things further is that while the tabletop is a conventional circle, the stem is formed into three intersecting circles that resemble the petals of a flower. That unusual shape not only provides a beautiful form but also helps spread the weight around.

Unlike what you might expect from a glass table, the Soda coffee table isn’t completely smooth, at least not visually. The top has a hammered surface that seems to freeze ripples in time. It creates an impression of dynamism and almost literal vibrancy, almost like a colored drink that bubbles and ripples at the slightest movement. It reflects and refracts light in seemingly random and interesting ways as if the table is a gigantic drinking glass with soda trapped inside for eternity.

Soda is more than just an elegant coffee table. It’s also an exercise in pushing the envelope of a glass-blown design, especially when it comes to large proportions and complicated shapes. The result is a beautiful piece of furniture that’s no different from a piece of sculptural art that combines a play of light and colors that will surely make you the talk of the neighborhood.

The post Gorgeous gem-like coffee tables might make you feel like grabbing a soda first appeared on Yanko Design.

Coffee table concept adds a revolving handle to hold your glass or lamp

Posted on by

Table space is often very precious, especially for smaller furniture that’s often a bit more decorative than functional. Coffee tables, for example, don’t have much space for a lot of stuff, limiting their use when it comes to work. You can place a laptop, maybe a notebook or two, and then suddenly find yourself out of a safe space for that coffee from which the table gets its name. It’s even worse when the table is a circle because there’s less surface area compared to a square tabletop. Of course, you should probably work at a desk or a larger table, but some public spaces prefer these round and more attractive designs. It doesn’t have to be an either-or situation, and this table design concept tries to make room for all the essentials without forgetting the most important thing of all: coffee.

Designer: Liza Chernova

Coffee tables are a bit of an amusing misnomer since their earliest known ancestors were made to hold tea cups rather than coffee. Today, the typical coffee tables are large and low pieces of furniture that occupy a central place in living rooms, and they’re meant to hold not only beverages of any kind but also books, remote controls, and even knickknacks. There are some coffee tables, however, that are literally what they’re called, tables with regular heights used for holding your favorite blend and maybe even working for a bit.

Things can get cramped easily with you have both drinks and work competing over a small area. It might even become precarious, as evidenced by so many anecdotes of spilled beverages over papers or, worse, laptops. This table design idea solves that problem by giving beverages a more special place that sort of puts them on a pedestal while also keeping your work safe.

1

Named after Russian rotary dials, Vertushka puts a similar mechanism at the service of your coffee. An arm protrudes out of and over the table, creating a safe location to place a drink away from whatever else is on the table. Plus, it also frees up space for more of your stuff instead of forcing yourself to clear out an unobstructed space around your cup. That said, that’s not the only thing that this coffee table is able to do. That “handle” can revolve around the edge, giving you more freedom where to place your beverage.

That revolving handle is actually more than just a drink holder, though. The design also includes a multi-angle lamp to shed more light on what you’re working on without taking up precious table space. In theory, this could be expanded to support a modular system for anything you need to be at arm’s reach but doesn’t need to actually be on the table. Vertushka offers that flexibility without changing the coffee table’s minimalist design substantially, letting you keep your work safe while sipping your favorite beverage.

The post Coffee table concept adds a revolving handle to hold your glass or lamp first appeared on Yanko Design.

This side and coffee tables have sustainability and simplicity ingrained in their DNA

Posted on by

Once upon a time, buying a table involved troublesome and inconvenient shipping arrangements because the furniture either comes pre-assembled or didn’t have any way to disassemble it anyway. These days, however, it has become trendy to buy flat-packed furniture, especially if they come with minimalist designs. These are easier to transport, sometimes by the buyers themselves, and are possible to take apart store away when they’re no longer needed. The trade-off, however, is often the complexity and difficulty of assembling the things on your own. Fortunately, more creative furniture designers have come up with new ways to simplify that process, and these wooden tables demonstrate how an easier process doesn’t exactly make the furniture less stable.

Designer: Ivan Nuño

Thanks to the prevalence of minimalist designs and the popularity of stores like IKEA, it isn’t uncommon these days for many people to prefer tables and chairs that arrive at their doorsteps in pieces. Logistics like transportation and storage can be cheaper, and it’s also not that much work for those already used to putting things together themselves by hand. The latter, however, doesn’t cover the majority of buyers that need simpler steps to follow. Unfortunately, simplicity can sometimes also mean fragility, and some might find their tables loosening in critical areas.

To correct that problem, Studio Nuño designed a new type of joinery that it says reduces the assembly time down to just a few minutes while still maintaining structural strength to bear the weight of everyday use. You simply insert the legs into the slots beneath the tabletop, slide in a supporting piece, and screw that piece down with an Allen wrench. The legs come in three or four distinct pieces for the side table and coffee table, respectively, so there are no confusing angles or combinations to worry about.

Although not an inherent property of flat-pack design, many products that come in this form often have a pinch of sustainable design as well. Studio Nuño, however, takes it to a whole new level by making sure both the product and its packaging are environment-friendly. The wood for the tables, for example, is made from Baltic birch plywood coated with high-pressure laminate made from recycled materials, while the joinery uses recycled steel. The packaging is devoid of single-use plastic, using 100% recycled and biodegradable materials. It even uses eco-friendly tape to keep things together.

Studio Nuño’s tables don’t skimp on the aesthetics either, fully embracing a minimalist design that blends well with any theme you might have running in your home. Simple and sustainable, this coffee and side table pair offers a fresh look at how furniture doesn’t have to be complicated to be beautiful or sturdy. At the same time, its simple assembly also proves that you don’t have to sweat too much to have a sturdy and reliable table for your use, whatever that may be.

The post This side and coffee tables have sustainability and simplicity ingrained in their DNA first appeared on Yanko Design.

Top 10 coffee table designs that are the ultimate pick-me-ups your living room needs

Posted on by

I believe that the secret to a great living room is an excellent coffee table. Coffee tables function as the centerpiece of a living room, hence you need to pick one that truly livens it up, and sets the tone for it. And, once the perfect coffee table has been set, you can start building the rest of the space around it – a comfy sofa, cute side tables, exquisite lighting, elegant decorative pieces. They are all brought together by the right coffee table! And even coffee tables are getting more innovative, unique, and well-crafted by the day! From a quirky red cuboidal coffee table that effortlessly stores your books and magazines, to a coffee table that holds an electric fireplace and is the ultimate winter essential – these exquisite coffee table designs are all you need to completely bring together your living room, and meet your interior design goals!

1. The Bookpet

Designed to be a ‘coffee-book table’, the Bookpet is a visually exciting coffee table, that also doubles up as an excellent storage space for your books and magazines. It showcases a sculptural shape that evolves from a double-bent cuboid.

Why is it noteworthy?

The cuboidal form of the furniture allows for a sturdy tabletop at one end, which functions as the coffee table part of the design. In contrast, the rest of the piece has been integrated with little slits and nooks that can perfectly hold your favorite books and magazines. Bookpet has a compact and space-friendly size, allowing it to be ideal for tiny homes, and modern apartments with space constraint woes.

What we like

  • Compact + space-saving design
  • It looks like a sausage dog!

What we dislike

  • It’s still a concept!

2. Wormhole Coffee Table

Wormholes can hypothetically connect two disparate points in spacetime via a tunnel. And they’re quite commonly found in science fiction! And this mind-blowing coffee table by Olivier Gomis attempts to convert the hypothetical wormhole into a physical manifestation.

Why is it noteworthy?

The shape of a table is already quite eye-catching on its own. It’s almost like a wooden plank that has been bent so that the two ends are on top of each other and then joined together by a double cone. These are then glued together with sheets of maple veneer in between, which give the appearance of those faint light lines that form the grid.

What we like

  • A lamp was installed in the center of the hole, giving the table an eerie appearance in the dark

What we dislike

  • You’ll probably want to keep things away from the part of the table that curves downward

3. Duffy London’s Table

This beautiful coffee table is the latest addition to the Abyss Horizon collection, and it makes you feel as if you’re going down an aquatic rabbit hole! It also gives the impression that it is free floating above the floor of your house. It features a deep turquoise color that has intersecting and playful lines, colors, and shapes running through it!

Why is it noteworthy?

The coffee table also has three curved legs to support the surface while its contoured base looks like it’s actually diving down deep into your floor. The clean edges of the table also enhance your view of the aquatic abyss and let you focus on the sinkhole at the center. Think of it as looking at all the different ways we see the colors of the ocean become different at the various depths of the water. But this time, it’s right in front of you at your table.

What we like

  • There are only 25 handmade pieces

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

4. The Orbit Coffee Table

The Orbit Coffee Table is defined by multicolored and interloping legs. The design draws inspiration for the table legs from the orbits you find in outer space. If you compare the coffee table to the images you’ve seen in your school textbooks of planets orbiting the sun, you’ll realize that they’re actually quite similar!

Why is it noteworthy?

The coffee table features a round glass tabletop that is supported by three oscillating metal tubes. The tubes are interestingly intertwined, creating an intriguing visual mesh, which is further enhanced by giving each of them a different color. Aktay gave the tubes separate colors, to provide each element with a sense of individuality, and to help segregate them distinctly. This ensures that we notice and appreciate the unique construction of the table thoroughly.

What we like

  • Inspired by orbits found in outer space

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

5. The Dune Table

This beautiful center table concept is designed to make people feel at peace – with the help of loose sand. You don’t need to visit a beach or travel to a desert to enjoy the sensation of this, you can now do it in the comfort of your own home with the Dune table!

Why is it noteworthy?

The Dune table’s name makes clear its inspiration, which might not be immediately apparent simply from its form. Unlike a gently sloping dune, the table’s base rises and falls in an almost random pattern. This creates shapes, edges, and corners that wouldn’t be ordinarily possible with natural dunes. Along with its blue hue, however, it gives the table an almost mystical and otherworldly character that only adds to its soothing visual.

What we like

  • The tabletop also follows this amorphous design, forming an irregular shape rather than a typical circle or ellipse. It gives a perfect view of the man-made dune underneath, serving both functional and aesthetic duties

What we dislike

  • It’s still a concept!

6. The Wait

Called, the Wait, this multifunctional piece of furniture features a horizontal slab of wood that interconnects a wave-like form, giving it a sense of dynamism and free-flowing movement. The coffee table/ bench is lying in wait, ready to jump into action at any given moment.

Why is it noteworthy?

The dynamism is also present in how the furniture can be used. It takes very little to change the function of the piece; simply removing one or both cushions frees the surface to be used as table tops. You don’t even have to stick to one or the other mode since leaving one cushion creates a half-and-half that serves both purposes.

What we like

  • Multifunctional piece of furniture
  • Excellent option for storage space in tiny apartments

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

7. The Circus Coffee Table

Much like its name, the Circus coffee table is an intriguing concept designed to bring people together in an active, interactive, and chaotic manner. Unlike conventional coffee tables, the circus coffee table is quite tall, and it can be used as a regular desk if need be.

Why is it noteworthy?

The table’s jumble of shapes and materials is almost chaotic, just like a circus. You have a predominantly wooden table with metal components that add functionality to the table. The large circular hole in the middle turns the disc into a donut and reveals two triangular shapes that form the legs of the table. Instead of a solid cylindrical base, the table has metal bars and doors on opposite sides, creating further contrasts in terms of design.

What we like

  • Designed to be the center of attraction
  • Can function as a regular desk too

What we dislike

  • Some people may not like the unconventionality of the design

8. The Cloth Coffee Table

The Cloth coffee table is characterized by a curved bookstand that functions as the table’s centerpiece. The rather curvy personality of the table is seen throughout its bulky bold. The coffee table perfectly strikes a a balance between boldness and elegance, beautifully integrating soft and loud elements.

Why is it noteworthy?

Doing minimalism before it was cool, Japanese and Scandinavian share a lot of common design principles, including a focus on warmth, groundedness, and a subdued color scheme for an overall calming effect. With aim of merging these principles together to design Cloth, Teixeira hoped to find a “balance between boldness and elegance, depending on the angle.”

What we like

  • An artful blend of Japanese and Scandinavian design philosophies
  • The curved bookstand is a distinguishing feature

What we dislike

  • Weighty/bulky design

9. The REVERSE Table

The REVERSE coffee table is not simply a coffee table, it also functions as a side table. You can reuse the same base and same table surface to alternate between the two kinds of tables.

Why is it noteworthy?

The only thing that changes is the middle support structure that determines how high the table can be. Simply reverse its orientation and you can either raise or lower the table, switching between its two functions. The one caveat is that the table’s height seems to be fixed in both situations, with no room for slightly raising or lowering the tabletop.

What we like

  • Doubles up as a coffee table and side table

What we dislike

  • Switching between the two modes can be complex and time consuming

10. Hearth

Called, Hearth, this innovative coffee table looks like a conventional and stylish table at first glance. But as you examine it deeper, you realize that it actually puts a modern spin on a rather ancient household fixture.

Why is it noteworthy?

In its dormant state, it already functions as a beautiful centerpiece for people to gather, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Twist that tabletop clockwise like a giant dial, and the slanted fins at the base open up, revealing the electric heater inside.

What we like

  • Multifunctional design
  • Functions as a beautiful centerpiece that warms up your home

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

The post Top 10 coffee table designs that are the ultimate pick-me-ups your living room needs first appeared on Yanko Design.

8 Geeky Coffee Tables

Posted on by
Batman Coffee TableBatman Coffee Table

Geeky coffee tables are cool so why settle for a boring coffee table if you can get a LED one or a superhero-styled one? Finding unique and special furniture for your home is fun. Today it’s easy to get great items that will upgrade your house. 

It’s amazing how a simple table can absolutely transform the room’s vibe and feel. You can use a geeky coffee table not just in your living room, but get one for your kid’s room. If you have a playroom in your house it’s also an excellent way to add some geekiness into your home. Below you’ll find 8 super geeky and cute coffee tables all geeks will love.

Batman Coffee Table

Image via: MancaveEssentialsArt

If you are planning a man cave or just want to add some superhero sparkle to your home, this Batman coffee table can be a great addition. This table is just right, in color and in style. The table was crafted from hard maple wood, painted with a black stain coated and a high gloss polyurethane. To finish the look the legs are in powder coated hairpin, giving the coffee table its classic look.

Lord of the Rings – Coffee Table

Image via: TheDribblyYak

This coffee table is truly a work of art. Specially designed using pyrography technique, all of the table’s decorations were burned into the wood. The result is stunning: A one of a kind Middle Earth Map coffee table.

Nintendo Controller Coffee Table

Image via: UpUpSquare

This controller table is probably one of the more famous geek-theme coffee tables out there. Over the years we presented here on Walyou several Nintendo coffee tables: From wood, glass and even plastic, but one thing all of them have in common is that they are super cool!

Jordan Coffee Table

Image via: CBwoodcraftdesigns

A very cool coffee table, perfect for the sports fans. It’s actually a storing box for shoes but can be used as very cool coffee table. You can store some magazines also. Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition perhaps?

Pac-Man Coffee Table

Image via: PixelPixels

This coffee table is full of style. Combining the iconic yellow with the oak legs is super modern and totally IN. The Pacman table can also be perfect for your game room or your kid’s bedrooms.

Marvel Coffee Tables

Image via: AslansAttic

Colorful and oozing with retro, this Marvel Comics coffee table is all about chic and style. This table is also 100% recycled and hand-painted.

LED Coffee Table

Image via: Friendlystore

This modern innovative coffee table is featuring an impressive display of LED lights. It is battery operated, and you can easily switch it on or off to impress your friends (or dates).

Coffee Table”  8 Bit – Pixelated

Image via: RyonDesign

Forget about HD; this table is all about retro gaming. The 8-bit Pixel table is made out of a solid oak and was inspired by 8-bit graphics found in early computer gaming. Another cool fact about this table is that each side throughout the entire table has a different combination of hand cut cubes, so each side is unique, and no two sides are the same.

For more geeky and cool furniture check out our 21 Geeky Furniture Designs for Your Room and 17 Geeky Coffee Table Designs

Can The Force Help You Afford This $10,000 R2-D2 Pinball Table/Coffee Table?

Posted on by

R2-D2-coffee-table-pinball-machine-1

You have to be a serious fan of the franchise to consider dropping 10 large on a coffee table. Sure, it’s decked out to look a lot like R2-D2. And sure, it’s got a fully functional pinball table as its core. And yeah, sure, there’s even a mini slideprojector (picturing R2 in the Death Stars’ sewage), a flashlight, sounds, lighting programs, and a fully functional animated droid on the play field. And ok, yeah, it did take over 320 hours to assemble… But $10,000? Yeah. That’s a heck of a lot for a piece of functional furniture, no matter how cool it looks. Still, if you’re really motivated, it does look like the company, Altar Furniture, will make you one.

R2-D2-coffee-table-pinball-machine-3

R2-D2-coffee-table-pinball-machine-4

R2-D2-coffee-table-pinball-machine-2

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Gizmodo ]

This Furniture Has an Unexpected Feature

Posted on by

concrete furniture with plants This Furniture Has an Unexpected Feature
Take a look at these indoor/outdoor pieces of furniture. While they may look like normal chairs and a table made entirely out of molded concrete, each piece has a little something unexpected that’s pretty awesome. Do you see it? Here’s a hint: it’s green. I’m not just talking about the color green though, there’s literally greenery growing out of each one.
concrete furniture with plant pockets chair This Furniture Has an Unexpected Feature
Each one has a built-in pocket designed to hold living plants. The chair has a pocket atop each of it’s legs as does this fantastic looking Queen Anne style table below (which also has more spots along each of it’s sides):
table with plant pockets This Furniture Has an Unexpected Feature
No need for a separate planter, this coffee or end table below has a huge (relatively speaking) tree growing right out of the middle of the table.
opiary table with plant This Furniture Has an Unexpected Feature
The glass top lets you see the entirety of the plant. Other top styles are available too if you don’t want to see your roots. Thoughtfully they’ve covered the soil with some sort of mossy grass. Here’s a closer look:
table with plant top This Furniture Has an Unexpected Feature
This lounge chair is really cool too, it has an almost vintage aircraft inspired look to it.
concrete lounger This Furniture Has an Unexpected Feature
The pieces are made of hand polished concrete for a smooth finish. The material is durable and weather-proof so you can use them both indoors and out. This furniture line is made by Opiary, who is based out of New Jersey (yeah!). They also do custom work. (via)

This Furniture Has an Unexpected Feature
Check out our Craziest Gadgets Shop for unique gifts!

Game of Risk Carved Into a Coffee Table

Posted on by

risk coffee table Game of Risk Carved Into a Coffee Table
Very strategic this table is. Some guy’s awesome Dad carved a Risk board right into their coffee table. Adopt me please! I won’t just sit in Australia and take over all the other countries one by one, promise. No wait, I will. The cool thing about this table is that you can do things you can’t with a standard Risk game board- like stab a knife into the table in anger, put your drink right on the board, or flip the board onto the floor when you lose. Yes, Risk games get a little heated in my household.

Game of Risk Carved Into a Coffee Table
Check out our Craziest Gadgets Shop for unique gifts!