Tag Archives: side tables

This multi-level side table becomes a piece of wall art when folded flat

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By their very name and nature, side tables often take a secondary role in a room. Some might even be hidden in corners or obstructed by other furniture. They do serve a purpose, of course, often as a temporary surface to put down phones, books, or cups. But when they aren’t in use, they can get in the way or be wasted space, especially if they’re not particularly noteworthy in terms of visual appeal. This foldable side table is already attractive when standing on its own, but you might still want to fold it away and hang it up on a wall anyway because it can add a dash of sophistication to the area as an aesthetic piece of modern wall art.

Designer: Vico Magistretti (Original), Francesco Meda and David Lopez Quincoces (Remaster)

The original Florian was already quite an oddity when it first appeared in 1989. A foldable side table was most likely rare and unconventional, but one that had two or even three tabletops was a peculiar embellishment that is uncommon even by today’s standards. What really made it special, though, is the fact that it looked so beautiful even when folded up that you could hang it on a wall, and none would be wiser that it was actually a functional side table rather than a modern artwork of circles and lines.

The 2021 remaster retains the original’s structure but adjusts the size for modern lifestyles while also expanding the color selection for a wider range of aesthetic tastes. The frame is still made with ash wood, now joined by visually contrasting brass mechanisms. The new colors now include mustard yellow, dark green, and brick red; all lacquered to give the side table wall art an eye-catching sheen.

There is a fourth color that feels like the union of past and present. The brushed veneer black ash is closer to the original Florian while still giving off a more contemporary vibe. The way it shows the wood’s natural veins even after treatment makes it an ideal “open-pore” display on your wall.

Whether standing as a two-layer side table holding your cups and books or hanging on a wall to enhance the room’s ambiance, the Florian demonstrates how a design can be timeless and enchanting even after decades. The table’s simple shapes combined with its ingenious folding mechanism bring a piece of furniture that is both functional and decorative in all its forms. You definitely won’t go wrong with this side table, and it might even amaze your guests when you take down what they presumed is just a wall decoration and turn it into a table for their use.

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This brutalist side table enthrones your books and magazines for everyone to see

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Most of us have reading materials lying around the house, sometimes in multiple places. There might be books we’ve been trying to finish for months, magazines we’re collecting, or some special coffee table piece that shows off our particular interests. Those with more active reading habits will want some of these to be within reach or displayed within sight, but most shelves and coffee tables serve only one or the other. This side table, however, is able to do both, and it puts your reading materials on a pedestal designed to be both utilitarian yet also appealing in a certain brutalist fashion.

Designer: Hyeonil Jeong

We all have particular tastes in furniture, but most would probably prefer one that looks finished and complete rather than raw. At least for indoor furniture, the go-to materials included finished wood, sandblasted metal, matte plastic, and cut glass, to name a few. Some outdoor furniture tends to look a bit rougher, hinting at their ruggedness and durability. Of course, there’s no hard rule that says these designs can’t mix, like a combination of concrete and metal that makes a powerful statement inside the living room.

The B HOLD side table concept is one such design that is minimalist to the point of almost being raw. The base is a simple concrete cylinder with part of its top hewn to make room for the tabletop. That “top” is made from two pieces of metal joined at an angle, with one forming the flat horizontal surface on which you can confidently place your coffee mug or wine glass.

What makes this design different is the space beneath that tabletop. Inspired by both magazine racks and book stands, it lies at an angle that makes it possible to stack a few books or magazines without any of them falling off. That angle also makes it easy to see those reading materials, particularly the one sitting at the top of the stack. It presents an opportunity to show off what you’re currently reading or a book you want to boast about.

That space won’t be able to fit a whole collection of books, so you’ll have to pick only the best or current volumes. In a way, that limitation does force you to be a bit organized and more discerning, at least with what you want to put on display. The side table design is simple yet effective, raw yet powerful, creating a dedicated space for you to take a breather, sip a cup of coffee or tea, and pull out something to read, all while giving guests a peek at the books that make you, you.

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This folding side table uses a unique mechanism to save space when not in use

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Many of us probably wish we had something to put our coffee mugs or phones on beside our lounge chairs or couches. Side tables are perfect for this kind of duty, but there might also be times when you don’t want such a piece of furniture in front or beside you. Perhaps you are economizing on space, or maybe you just prefer to put everything away when you’re done using them. Whatever the reason might be, foldable tables exist for that purpose, but these form-changing pieces of furniture can be complex and are often unattractive. Of course, there are exceptions to this, and this curious side table concept is one of them, especially with its rather unconventional yet simple method of implementing that folding feature.

Designer: Pelin Ozbalci

At first glance, this side table is both a mystery and a work of art. Inspired by ancient Chinese waist fans, the table has a particular design that doesn’t even try to hide the multiple strips of wood that make up its circular top. It also looks almost unbalanced with the way that the tabletop sticks out to the side, away from its one and only leg. It almost feels like the table could topple over with the slightest push or with a heavy burden.

What truly makes this side table unique, however, is its folding mechanism. Rather than folding down the tabletop as a whole, it actually folds in half instead. The loop in the middle keeps the halves from folding down, but a simple 90-degree turn frees the hinge completely. It’s a simple mechanism that requires no extra parts to lock the two halves together, and the table will only fold if the hinge is lined exactly in the middle.

Admittedly, that same bar that holds the two halves in place also limits the size of things you can put on the side table. Then again, the purpose of this table is for small, temporary items that need a brief resting place, like a cup, a phone, or a pocketbook. Anything bigger would require a more permanent table, which is not what this design is for.

As for the table’s stability, the base of the table is made from concrete, so it won’t fall over unless you put something heavier than that. This combination of concrete and wood also turns the table into a somewhat interesting piece of sculptural art when folded. That way, it serves a secondary and more passive purpose even when not in use, making it an ideal solution for space-constrained rooms and living spaces.

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This two-piece side table is a balancing act expressed in contrasting elements

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We all try to achieve a certain degree of balance, whether it’s in our lives or at least in the items we possess. There’s almost something natural about being in a state of equilibrium, and our eyes and minds find well-balanced objects to be pleasing and almost calming. Of course, neither life nor nature is as simple as that, and we often find ourselves beset by conflicting and opposing factors. Finding a stable middle ground between two sides is a major part of life’s journey, and this curious side table makes that struggle visible and real in a design that is both mind-boggling and practical as well.

Designer: Deniz Aktay

At first glance, the Shaolin side table almost looks unstable and unreliable. The tabletop is a simple flat rectangular piece that rests on top of a curve that forms the head of a ribbon-like shape. Of course, the imbalance is only an illusion, but it’s enough to make one pause in the uncertainty of whether the tabletop will topple over on one side or the other. It’s like the balancing act that martial artists like the table’s namesake perform.

In reality, the two parts of the table are not its top and its legs but rather the two halves that make up its left and right sides. These boomerang-shaped sheets of metal interlock perfectly to the point that they support each other to make the table stand and carry the weight of whatever is put on top. It’s almost like it’s the tension of the forces between the two pieces that makes it possible for the table to be so well-balanced.

In addition to its form, the colors of the side table also create a contrast that balance each other in the end. The red and black motif is often used as complementary hues in visual design. Computer scientists might even recognize the association with a certain “red-black tree” that is considered to be a self-balancing data structure.

It’s also almost metaphorical that the overlapping and opposing forms create a small space in the middle where you can safely place some of your important stuff. Of course, given the inclined sides, it won’t be a good place to put things that will easily break when that balance is perturbed. It’s still a convenient location for books, a phone, and other transient objects that make their way to your hands as you try to juggle and balance the sometimes opposing demands of life.

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This eye-catching side table is like a geometric puzzle for your stuff

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Just by their name, you’d almost think that side tables are like sidekicks to your furniture. They serve a useful purpose, for sure, but they’re not exactly critical unless you really designed a room around them. They’re sometimes even hidden in corners where only their tops are seen and accessible. Of course, it’s entirely possible to have side tables become the center of attraction, especially if they look good enough to warrant moving away from the sidelines. They can also do more than just be pieces of furniture you place items on top, just like this side table that provides more than one functionality with a very unique visual. In fact, its unusual form warrants it to be a living room centerpiece, which means it can be more than just a table on the sides.

Designer: Dezin Aktay

Compared to a coffee table or a desk, a side table is almost always a smaller piece of furniture where you place cups, books, magazines, or even your phone on top. Given the scarcity of space in most homes and rooms these days, however, such a single-function object almost feels like a waste. That’s why some side table designs and concepts incorporate some sort of storage below the tabletop, turning the side table into a side shelf of sorts.

Linked does exactly that while also thinking outside the box when it comes to design, almost literally. Inside of a straightforward rectangular shelf or even a cylindrical body, the side table is actually composed of three hollow boxes. But rather than have these boxes arranged in an organized and regular fashion, they are instead interconnected with different offsets, creating what almost looks like a random composition of shapes, lines, and spaces.

These spaces are, of course, where you can place objects inside. There is actually only one space in the middle than can be big enough for anything other than books or smaller items. All other open areas are narrow, thin, or have an irregular L-shape that makes them less convenient for other objects. That said, filling these up with objects of different sizes also adds to the whimsical personality of the table. Given that you’ll be placing items where they fit best, you might find the overall aesthetic a bit disorganized or even chaotic.

The Linked side table’s wooden boxes make it perfect for almost any room arrangement, regardless of the motif you’re aiming for. Given its uneven shape, it might not be conducive to keeping it at the sides only. It can, of course, also function as a central table, both visually and functionally, one that can keep more than just your drinks or reading materials within easy reach.

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This ready-to-assemble flat-pack furniture set is made from a single piece of plywood

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Wooden furniture is naturally made from different pieces, and most of the time, those pieces are taken from different pieces of wood. Conventional manufacturing processes try to maximize materials, but those often still produce a lot of wasted wood pieces. Because of this, there has been a great deal of interest in designing products like furniture or even vehicles that use up almost every available inch of a sheet of material, minimizing wasted space and wasted material. Of course, it requires a bit of thinking outside the box to be able to utilize almost every surface of wood, cardboard, or metal and turn it into an actual usable product, like this three-piece furniture set that also applies that unconventional thinking to create a chair designed to lean backward.

Designer: Sheridan Kromann

Flat-pack furniture has become popular with people who want to economize on space or expenses, especially when it comes to shipping and assembly. Almost like those wooden puzzle pieces that require no special tools to form an animal or historic landmark, these ready-to-assemble products try to reduce the stress involved when assembling furniture. Of course, ready-made furniture delivered to your house will still be easier, but flat-packs at least don’t require screws or tools to put together. All you need is the ability to follow instructions.

Many flat-pack furniture also come with an implicit benefit. In most cases, the separate pieces can be cut out from a single sheet of material, often wood or fiberboard, which minimizes the wasted material. At first brush, that almost seems like the key feature of the Leaning Chair set, and it’s definitely an important one. All three members of the set are CNC cut from the same 4×8 piece of plywood, and while there are still areas of the sheet that are unused and probably discarded, it’s still a lot less wasteful than conventionally assembled furniture.

The set features a chair, an ottoman for your feet, and a side table to complete the setting. Like any flat-pack furniture, they can all be assembled without screws or tools. You don’t even need fasteners or glue to keep them together. Of course, some people might actually be wary of this kind of assembled furniture, especially chairs that look a bit unstable on their feet. The Leaning Chair, however, is specifically designed that way to prevent one of the most common accidents with chairs.

Some people try to lean back on their chairs and end up falling backward because typical legs aren’t designed to support that use case. This chair’s base, however, curves and extends backward, almost like a rocking chair, allowing the person to lean back safely and with confidence. Unlike a rocking chair, however, it doesn’t tilt forward, making it stand stably and still when you don’t want to lean back.

Admittedly, flat-pack furniture isn’t exactly the prettiest to look at unless you actually prefer that raw, puzzle-like aesthetic. Unfortunately, that same aesthetic might make people less comfortable and less confident in the stability of the products. Either way, the Leaning Chair furniture concept is yet another interesting example of conventions being stretched and broken to create designs that are not only efficient but also sustainable.

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This metal side table depicts a piece of falling fabric frozen in time

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There seems to be a widespread misconception that designer or artful products are all less functional than more “normal” products. It’s almost as if beauty and function are diametrically opposed and can’t be found in the same thing. That couldn’t be farther from the truth, and we’ve seen our fair share of well-designed products that exude high aesthetic value while also delivering unparalleled features. Of course, we’ve also seen products that are almost pure in their simplicity yet striking in appearance and usefulness. In some cases, it doesn’t take much to have all those properties in one, like this side table that looks like a modern sculpture that captures the gentle curves and surfaces a tablecloth in the middle of falling into place.

Designer: Dezin Aktay

Some people put use large pieces of fabric to cover a table and accentuate a room. Others prefer the pristine appearance of the piece of furniture, especially if it’s made with luxurious materials or has fine finishing. In a sense, this side table concept design doesn’t need a tablecloth but also has one at the same time. That’s because the tablecloth is the table as well, formed from what looks like a single piece of metal molded into a piece of sculptural art.

Tables are meant to be stable to be useful, but the Tablecloth side table seems to provoke contrasting images of stability and fluidity. While most tables have four legs to have a symmetrical balance, the Tablecloth only has three. Its metallic surface gives it a rigid appearance, but its curved edges almost give the illusion of movement. Even the shape of the legs, which taper sharply to the feet, are ones you’d associate with dynamism or even imbalance.

As the name clearly states, the table is shaped like a tablecloth, but one that seems to still be in motion rather than at rest. Absent are the typical folds you’d see on a piece of fabric hanging over an edge after already settling down. What you have instead are the waves and undulating surfaces of a piece of cloth that’s gently falling to the ground. Only one of the table’s thee edges curves completely down while the other two seem to be frozen mid-air, reinforcing that imagery.

If there’s one question that this design leaves open is whether it’s actually stable enough to be used reliably as an actual side table. The pointed feet might not inspire much confidence in stability, but it’s not something that couldn’t be fixed with wider and flatter forms as well as some slip-resistant material. The small space on top also limits how much you can put on the side table, but it remains functional as a place for temporary possessions like books or drinking glasses, as well as for something more permanent like a vase that would complement the table’s material and form.

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A table that works vertically or horizontally is perfect for small spaces

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Everyone’s needs change, some more often than others. One day we might need a simple side table, but a laptop desk might be necessary a few weeks later. Considering how needs and situations change so frequently, it doesn’t always pay to keep on buying new things to fill the need. A single piece that can do the work of many is going to be more practical, especially when pressed for space. In some future world, we will probably have furniture that can change forms, functions, and even designs at a moment’s notice. Until then, however, we can always enjoy smart solutions designed to adapt to our context, like a simple yet beautiful table that works whether it’s standing on its legs or on its sides.

Designer: Oguz Ergin

Most of us will probably have at least one table that serves as our workspace, but some might need a side table for smaller objects or other purposes. If you have a spacious house or a sufficiently large room, having both and more is definitely more convenient. When you’re renting a tiny room or trying to economize your space, however, that really isn’t an option.

Verticale is a furniture design concept that tries to fit the bill with as few compromises as possible. In one mode, it is a desk that can stand beside your bed or in the middle of a room, holding a book and a drink on top while nestling magazines inside its open drawer. It’s not tall enough to work on, though, which is where its other “mode” comes in.

If you turn Verticle on its side, it transforms into a makeshift or even permanent laptop table. The side, which is now its top, is long enough to support a large laptop and even a cup of coffee if you so wish to live dangerously. You also don’t lose any storage space because that drawer becomes a magazine rack that can still hold your favorite reading material. Admittedly, it might be a bit uncomfortable working with the other leg on the floor, but it does leave ample room for your legs.

It’s almost amazing how a simple but thoughtful design could change a product’s functions so significantly, all without using fancy gimmicks, mechanical tricks, or unnecessary parts. The Verticale is all wood, made from layers of plywood that are bent and curved to form simple lines. It is intentionally spartan and lightweight so that it would be easy to turn the table on its side or back on its legs.

While you’re unlikely to do that ritual every day, it’s still reassuring to know that you’re getting one for the price of two, so to speak. In theory, Verticale saves you space and money, letting you get the most out of a piece of furniture that takes up room in what could already be a cramped area. Plus, it looks visually interesting, appealing, and even welcoming becomes of its natural tones. It’s a multi-functional product that provides a beautiful accent to your room, which is definitely a win-win situation.

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Igloo is a side table that also gives your cat a cozy home

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Space is already at a premium for humans today, and adding a pet to the mix could complicate matters a bit. In addition to your own stuff, you also have to take into account your pet’s toys and bed, not to mention the things that it might choose to make its bed, with or without your consent. That’s not a reason not to get a furry companion, of course, but it is a reason to think about your furniture choices. Humans today tend to gravitate towards modular or multi-functional pieces of furniture, but there’s little reason both people and animals can’t share the same things. This side table, for example, looks like any ordinary wooden table except for the spherical shape underneath that can become your cat’s favorite sleeping place.

Designer: Joao Teixeira

Cats just love boxes. Or, to be more precise, they love enclosed spaces that give them a sense of security and safety. They are often more interested in packaging rather than the toy that was inside it, and it is commonly known that they’d sit or sleep inside anything they can fit into. So rather than waste time and money on a separate bed they may or may not like, why not make smarter use of space that’s already being occupied anyway.

“Igloo” might be a weird name for a table, but it is a very accurate description of the odd structure beneath the tabletop. Although it looks almost like an odd UFO, the flattened sphere is designed to be a cozy bed for your feline. Rather than a typical box, a round shape was chosen because it conformed better to how cats often curl up when sleeping. The shape is also almost completely closed off save for the oval opening in front, providing the warmth cats crave in boxes.

Of course, Igloo is also a table designed for humans, and it provides both functionality and decor to living spaces shared with animals. It can be placed beside your bed, keeping your companion close to you, or it can be left in the living room or any other room, giving your cat a space to call its own. The wooden legs and tabletop present a material contrast to the cat’s “igloo,” which is made of plastic. The unpainted legs complement the white paint of both the table’s surface and the cat’s comfy home. Although the cat is unlikely to appreciate it, cutouts around the legs on the tabletop give Igloo a visually interesting shape to attract humans’ attention.

While it’s definitely a smart way to combine two functions into one piece of furniture, it leaves at least one question open. The table itself looks stable, but a cat’s coming and going is sure to cause some movement. It might not be a good idea to place certain objects on the table, like fragile decor or even cups filled with drinks. Something with some form of dynamic stabilization could fix that problem, but that would also take away the table’s minimalist charm.

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This hidden train side table is a design and engineering masterpiece

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We’ve seen a few desks and tables with hidden features, but this DIY project takes the cake when it comes to revealing something that you least expect from a side table.

Side tables may have started out as simple, functional pieces of furniture, but they quickly turned into decorative assets in any room. Of course, these smaller tables went through their own minimalism phase before they started to become more multi-functional and expressive. Some side tables still retain their clean forms, using ingenious tricks to hide additional functions until they’re needed. To be fair, this table doesn’t exactly offer any additional useful functionality, but no one will be able to deny how amazing it is to see it transform from useful furniture to intricate movie reference. It’s even more amazing when you find out just how much work was needed to make this seemingly magical dual-purpose table to life.

Designer: Peter Waldraff

We’ve seen our fair share of DIY projects utilizing wood, electronics, or artistic skills, but very few actually required intensive applications of all those. In some cases, much of the work is done by a 3D printer, sometimes even outsourced to a 3D printing service, and some of the woodwork involved in other projects were pretty minimal. In contrast, you can’t help but be awestruck by this particular maker’s persistence and skill in shoving a miniature movie set into a deceptively simple wooden table.

The creator, for example, had to cut no less than 16 wooden rings that were glued together to create the hidden compartment for the model train set. A system of hidden pulleys had to be designed to raise and lower the platform, transforming the table into a moving diorama. Pieces of foam had to be cut, assembled, and painted to create the mountain centerpiece that would serve as the backdrop of the set. That’s also not mentioning yet the tricky wiring and electronics involved, especially to make the moving train trigger railroad bells as if by magic.

The mini train set tries to recreate an iconic scene from the film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and it ingeniously uses the underside of the table’s elevated wooden top to play the role of a UFO. LED lights not only give it an otherworldly appearance, it also illuminates the train to make it look more visible. The effect is best observed at night, of course, but the mini train table is mesmerizing any time of the day.

This project won’t win any sustainability awards due to its use of foam and some chemicals, but it would have admittedly been harder to pull off without those. This isn’t the first time this engineer slash electrician slash woodworker has dabbled in hiding model railroads inside tables, but this might be the most enchanting one yet. Watching a seemingly innocuous wooden round table split apart and reveal a mini-train system and alien spacecraft makes for an experience that is truly out of this world.

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