Coffee tables these days aren’t just places to put down books and drinks. They’re often the center of a room, specifically a living room, both in location and in design. They do more than just add visual interest in a space but, in many homes, also reflect the owner’s tastes and sometimes their aspirations.
That’s especially true if you get the opportunity to design your own coffee table or get someone to do it for you. This wood and glass design, for example, tries to capture feelings of welcoming warmth as well as structural strength. And what better way to represent those ideas than by putting the semblance of a glorious mountain right in the center of your living room.
The Rock of Gibraltar is a majestic sight that inspires awe not just with its height but with its distinctive shape as well. It’s almost like a ship resting in the ocean and a testament to the Earth’s geological history. It isn’t as imposing as other mountains, making it the perfect fit for a coffee table design.
The Vista coffee table, however, doesn’t simply mold or carve the shape of the mountain. It instead assembles layers of rosewood panels cut to the rough shape of the Rock of Gibraltar. The layers are held together by a few sticks of wood, creating very visible gaps in between each step.
The resulting aesthetic is similar to those cardboard topographic maps some students are told to make for their science projects. It’s almost like an artistic representation of a geographic form, leaving just enough details for our minds to fill in the gaps. At the same time, this layered design is like a metaphor for the natural formation of the mountain itself, built up layer by layer over hundreds if not thousands of years.
The Vista coffee table tries to combine the lofty image of mountains with the grounding materials of wood. It’s definitely a conversation starter among guests seeing it for the first time, or even between friends revisiting memories of the table’s arrival. Perhaps an unintended feature of the design is the gaps that can be used to hold or hide objects, almost like the man-made structures that have been built around the mountain, also a metaphor for the clutter that humans create around nature.
Some see them as annoyances and others consider them as privacy and security risks. That said, flying drones, just like their quadruped terrestrial counterparts, will inevitably be a part of our near future. That does mean there will be more mass-produced drones, more than what we already have today, and the materials used to make them aren’t always accessible or sustainable. But just as plastic is being replaced in other design industries, there’s also an opportunity to test other materials that are just as suitable for these flying robots. One experiment does exactly that, and it chooses a rather unexpected option that’s much loved in the design industry: wood.
Wood is not something you’d immediately associate with electronics, let alone robotics, but it is finding its way to more appliances and gadgets. In those cases, the material is prized for its sustainability and aesthetics, the latter of which isn’t exactly a priority among unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs like drones. That said, not all wood is created equal, and one particular type could very well be suitable for the demands of a drone.
Bamboo, in particular, is known for being lightweight yet also durable, especially when it comes to its tensile strength. Unlike hardwood, which could splinter and break on impact, bamboo can absorb a bit more strength. It’s also in high supply or easily renewable, unlike other trees that take a longer time to mature. Because of these properties, it could make for a good substitute for both plastic and carbon fiber, as the Bamboo hexacopter drone demonstrates.
Of course, the whole drone isn’t made of bamboo. In addition to the circuitry and brushless motors, the propellers are still made from plastic. Only the main frame, legs, and arms use bamboo, which is the largest use of plastic or carbon fiber in drones anyway. For only around $12 worth of bamboo, you can have a drone that weighs only 350g, half that of typical plastic builds.
The question, however, is whether such a strategy will actually be effective or if it will have too many compromises for the sake of sustainability. The Bamboo Drone does fly indeed and it can, in theory, carry light payloads like tools, emergency supplies, or scientific instruments. How it will fair against strong winds and light rain has yet to be tested, and that will really determine how suitable bamboo will be for a fleet of drones.
Wood is a wonderful and preferred material choice for furniture designers since like forever. And no wonder! There’s something about wood that instantly adds a sense of zen and calm to any living space it is placed into. It puts your mind at ease while managing to radiate a feeling of warmth and tranquility. It’s a minimal material that holds a strong personality without any additional frills and tassels. I truly believe a well-crafted piece of wooden furniture can add a magical touch to even the simplest of living spaces. Minimal, clean, and almost always soothing, beautifully designed wooden furniture helps add the ultimate finishing touch to a room. We’ve curated a collection of wholesome wooden furniture designs for you – from a dice-inspired wooden furniture design to a desk that transforms from a work of art into a functional table.
1. Flow Wall Desk
Dubbed the Flow Wall Desk, this one-of-a-kind furniture design is functional and decorative. The desk has a basic design philosophy, making it a great fit for corporate and home offices with space constraints. The desk is also pretty eco-friendly since it has been constructed from wood.
Why is it noteworthy?
Amped with a flexible and unique form, the Flow Wall Desk can be stored and folded away when not used. When folded away, the desk seems like a visually intriguing piece of wall art. When you unfold it, it resembles a spring caterpillar which functions as a desk for you to read, work, and write on.
What we like
Multifunctional and eco-friendly furniture design
Equipped with a convenient flatpack form
What we dislike
Since you need to fold and unfold the desk, you don’t have a constant setup
2. KURVE Furniture
Called the KURVE furniture collection, this minimal wooden furniture design utilizes only curves in its form. The curves are wrapped around a space, forming a hollow nook for your stuff. You can use the hollow space to place your belongings – ranging from books to accessories to shoes as well.
Why is it noteworthy?
The KURVE chair is throne-like and has no legs. It is equipped with a curved backless box for its bottom half. The furniture design is interesting since the arms, backrest, and seat are built from a single sheet of layered plywood. The sheet is bent on the back and sides, building the chair.
What we like
Merges well with different living spaces
You can place it near your entryway to easily store keys and shoes
What we dislike
The aesthetics are pretty simple, and may not be preferred by everyone
3. Flat Stool
Designed by Joao Teixeria, this flat-packed furniture design is made using no extra parts, no screws, and no glue even! It still serves as a multifunctional furniture design with a unique and appealing aesthetic, unlike those mass-produced flat-packed furniture products we tend to come across in the market.
Why is it noteworthy?
What makes the stool pretty unique is how the sides can curve and bend, even though it is flat-packed. Named the Flat Stool, it uses a pretty unconventional design and even uses kerf bending on the bent areas to build a gentle curve, making it seem like the piece was shipped like that from the start.
What we like
The kerfs and ribs serve as visual accents making the stool look pretty interesting
What we dislike
It is a conceptual design, so we don’t know how well it will translate into a tangible product
4. Dice
Dubbed Dice, this innovative furniture piece is designed by Zurich-based Kosmos Architects. The design can be used as a stool, coffee table, leg bench, and lamp. You can turn the piece in different ways, to use it as any of the furniture variants. The piece’s multifunctionality is where the dice reference comes in.
Why is it noteworthy?
Inspired by the various numbers and dots on a dice, the Dice furniture has a four-in-one piece which makes it quite similar to a dice, although it looks nothing like one. The Dice is portable and can be moved from one place to another with ease.
What we like
3D-printed through KUKA robotics technology
Looks like a wooden sculpture when not being used
What we dislike
The aesthetics are pretty unique and eccentric, and may not be preferred by everyone
5. Altitude Shelf
Named the Altitude Shelf, this minimal and clean shelving design by Evan Clabots is inspired by lines and the simple form of traditional Japanese woodworking. It serves as a nifty storage solution that is functional and influenced by Japanese aesthetics. It is eco-friendly as well since it has a wooden ethos.
Why is it noteworthy?
Drawing inspiration from Japanese furniture design, the Altitude Shelf also has hints of traditional Danish furniture. Amped by minimal lines, and the lack of a back panel, the design is quite open and free-flowing.
What we like
Serves as a modular design inspired by Japanese and Danish furniture
What we dislike
Bulky space-consuming design, not well-suited for homes with space constraints
There are people that love to pit technology against art or craftsmanship but those of us who know better know that the two can actually complement each other. There are products and designers out there who seek to fuse the two together and even bring innovation and improvements to the two worlds. One such product is a speaker that uses natural materials and is created by traditional craftspeople.
Designer: Mapu
The Mapu Speakers is a line of speakers that are made from natural materials like clay, wood, cork, and wool and handcrafted by traditional craftsmen in Chile and Portugal The goal is to create a new generation of craftspeople, “building a bridge between ancestral knowledge and technology”. Aside from having quality speakers so you can listen to your music, audiobooks, and podcasts, you also get a piece of art that you can display in your space.
The wooden cones and caps that are in the center of the driveractually optimize the high frequencies so you get a “vivid, spatial, and engaging sound”. The wool is used for the internal acoustic insulation while the leather and cork are also ideal for insulation due to their high tensile strength and heat resistance. The spherical shape of the vessel also adds to the sound quality that you get so you know that it’s not just beautiful but you get a pretty good speaker.
The Mapu Speakers are also 80% biodegradable so that’s another bonus for those who are looking for something pretty different for their speakers. The Mapuguaquén is already sold out on their website but the Mapu Preto and the Mapu Soenga, available in mono and stereo versions. The vessel-like shapes of the speaker line make it pretty attractive even if you don’t know yet the handicraft story behind it.
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