Silver Furniture Design · 2025
Kromme Coffee Table
- A' Design Award 2025 Silver Winner in Furniture Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- CLIENT: Nice Form
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 56,451
- Verification code CBF0A9453B · Verify this award
About Kromme Coffee Table
Inspired by the natural pattern of ocean waves, the Kromme Table uses a single strip of veneer to symbolize the continuous flow of the sea. Crafted entirely out of solid walnut, the veneer sections are laminated using thin pieces molded together to form a sculpture like curve. Minimal supports crafted from aluminum are added for strength. The glass top provides a clear view of the wood grain beneath. The Kromme Table is a sculptural statement for those who want a piece of furniture that is both stylish and functional.
Positioned within the contemporary furniture design tradition that traces its lineage through the organic modernism pioneered by masters of bent plywood and laminated wood construction, this coffee table represents a sophisticated meditation on the expressive possibilities inherent in steam-bent and laminated veneer techniques. The work engages directly with a design heritage that celebrates the capacity of wood to assume forms seemingly impossible for such a material, transforming rigid sheets into flowing, continuous gestures that speak to both technical mastery and poetic imagination. The compositional achievement lies in the resolution of apparent contradictions: the heavy visual mass of the looped base balanced against the lightness suggested by the elevated glass plane, the organic warmth of natural wood grain in dialogue with the industrial precision of the metal supports, and the static object imbued with kinetic suggestion through its wavelike silhouette. Technical merit is evident in the flawless execution of the lamination process, where multiple thin veneers have been bonded and formed into a continuous ribbon that maintains consistent thickness throughout its complex trajectory, the grain patterns aligned to enhance rather than interrupt the flowing gesture. The restraint demonstrated in material selection, limiting the palette to walnut, glass, and black metal, speaks to a design philosophy that values clarity over complexity, allowing each element to fulfill its role without decorative distraction. One might observe how the form invites multiple readings: geological strata compressed and uplifted, ocean swells frozen at their crest, or perhaps the elegant script of some unknown calligraphy rendered at architectural scale. What functional or contemplative relationships might this table establish within the domestic spaces it inhabits, and how does its presence transform the act of gathering around a shared surface?
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Crafted entirely out of solid walnut veneer, the Kromme Table uses a very simple curvature to allow for a glass top. The veneer sections are laminated using 1/16” pieces molded together to form a sculpture like curve. Minimal supports crafted from aluminum are added for strength. The glass top provides a clear view of the wood grain beneath. The design is inspired by ocean waves, using one long strip of veneer to symbolize the continuous flow of the sea. A sculptural statement for those who want a piece of furniture that is both stylish and functional.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Width 444.5 mm x Depth 1333.5mm x Height 355.6mm
- Tags
- Sculptural Furniture, Coffee Table, Bent Lamination, Curved wood, Solid Walnut Veneer
- Production Technology
- Due to the nature of how veneers are cut with a knife, not a blade, it produces almost no waste as opposed to a thicker saw producing about 40% sawdust. While the visible layers of the piece are straight grain walnut, the interior uses the less desirable sections you typically get from true veneer. Such as sap wood. Those were placed into the center layers which ended up creating very minimal waste.
Attention to detain when creating the form was the key to a successful and accurate production. The form used to create the molds was fixed to a flat surface using dovetail sliding joinery. It served as a perfect track and avoided any movement while clamping. - Design Challenge
- How to build this long flowing structure out of a single strip of wood was the main challenge. Steam bending was another option that was explored. However, you need to cut strips at a thicker weight to still maintain sustainability to some extent. And ripping 90 inch strips 4 times per section proved to produce too much waste. Thats's when bent lamination of thinner veneers was decided upon for construction.
- Project Duration
- This project was started in July 2023 in New York City. It was executed and finished in upstate New York in August of 2024.
- Operation Flow
- The result is a sculptural piece of furniture that is as much of a conversation starter as it is functional.
- Research
- The initial concept of this design was inspired by ocean waves. I wanted to create a piece of functional and beautiful furniture that was constructed in a unique way. Hence the long single strips of veneer used to laminate the structure. You don’t often see bent lamination executed in this complexity. Which was part of the motivation behind this method of construction. Sure, joinery could have been used. However the result would not be the long flowing grain often seen in nature. One of the details that was important to maintain.
- Inspiration
- The goal was to create a table that was unique in both construction, form and inspired by nature. It was also important from a design point of view to be very simple, hence staying with one fluid piece of veneer for the construction. A finished piece that was just as bold as it is simple.
- Image Credits
- All images and videos are created by Nice Form LLC.
- Patents
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