Glass isn’t often used for tables and even when it is, it’s usually only limited to the tabletop part. Glass is strong yet also brittle, so you would rarely want to have it in something that meets a lot of accidents in daily use. At the same time, however, glass also has an exquisite quality to its appearance that has even made it the favored material for counterfeit jewelry. There’s a certain artistry in glassware, especially when their production involves more traditional methods like glass blowing, embracing imperfections and flaws as unique traits that give the design a personality of its own. These side tables, simple as their shapes may be, are fine examples of how skilled craftsmanship can turn glass into something so beautiful that they might be good enough to eat.

Designer: Sabine Marcelis

Although they are completely functional, side tables often act more as decorative pieces, making them the perfect subject for design experimentation and thinking outside the box. There’s never a scarcity of concepts that explore different forms and functions for side tables, from transforming furniture to tables that serve both humans and pets at the same time. There are also plenty of more artistic renditions of what a side table is, like this collection that looks like tempting gigantic hard candy.

Coming in a variety of sizes, these square and rectangular glass boxes create a playful display of light and color through their translucent materials and even through the imperfections inside that material. The smoky gray and amber hues make the glass look less like jewelry and more like sweet treats that are too big to put in your mouth. Despite what would normally be boring shapes, the Lokum side tables have a certain aura of fun owing to the design’s charming character.

The simple boxy shapes of the side tables would normally be perfect for using mass-produced techniques, but these are instead blown glass into their geometric forms as evidenced by the traces of ripples in the glass. What would normally be seen as flaws actually enhance the glass tables’ playful image, adding a touch of dynamism to a rather static form. It also affects the way light passes through and bounces off, creating shadows and patterns that draw your attention further.

Elegant, entertaining, and ephemeral all at the same time, these blown glass side tables definitely do more than just provide a temporary place for books or cups. They turn imperfections into beautiful impressions, transform plain shapes into mouth-watering forms, and give life to any space through their simple yet eye-catching design. All these, using a technique that’s been around for centuries and a material that is as common as the sand.

The post Blown glass side tables look delicious enough to lick first appeared on Yanko Design.

If you have both kids and pets at home, it can sometimes be a challenge to have furniture that can friendly for both of them. You have to get separate kid-friendly and pet-friendly items if you want to have them feel comfortable and at home in your space. So it would be nice if there are multipurpose furniture that they can both use and enjoy. And of course, we all love items that serve more than just one purpose of course to save space and money.

Designers: Wei Jingye, Song Kexin, Zheng Xiaolei and Zhou Haoyuan

Wowo Multipurpose Furniture is a collection of items that can serve that purpose for parents that need stuff for their human kids and their fur-babies. The pieces in the collection have round and playful forms and colorful hues which makes it attractive for those that will use the seats and tables. The shapes are inspired by the mouth shape that children make when they say the cute word “wowo”. The hollow structure combined with the “saturation color and mellow shape” adds to the comfort that both kids and pets will get when they use the furniture.

The kids can sit on the chairs with their feet hanging or knees bent, whichever is more comfortable with them. Some of the seats are hallowed so this is where the pets can stay, to give a harmonious space for the two kinds of “children”. The main part of the furniture uses 3D-printing technology and magnetic assembly structure while the supporting structure uses solid wood in primary colors, processed and formed by machine cutting and manual grinding.

The collection is made up of various chairs and tables, some with the hallowed parts and stands for the pets to rest and play with. The pastel colors also add to the feeling of warmth and comfort. And because of the shape and colors of the items, they can also serve as part of your space’s decoration when not in use (or even when in use), especially if pastel and warm colors are your aesthetic.

The post Multi-purpose furniture collection is both kid and pet-friendly first appeared on Yanko Design.