THE ART OF INDIVIDUALITY
At this point, you might think that there's no connection between the many trends that manufacturers are presenting, given that their looks range from simple to sculptural and future-forward. But in fact, designers are responding to a wider trend: the desire for individuality.
Increasingly, we want pieces that stand out from the crowd; after all, no dining room should look like the next. Manufacturers are letting designers' personal creativity shine; a stance that's proving a resounding success.
A brilliant example of this is Hole, the result of a collaboration between Italian manufacturer Kristalia and Japanese designer Kensaku Oshiro. Living up to its namesake, the table features a rectangular block base with an oval hole in the middle. The base – which is available in various finishes – supports a thin laminate or thicker solid wood top. “I deliberately worked on the contrast between extremely rigorous, clear-cut lines and soft, sinuous and organic lines, such as those of the base support,” says Oshiro.
Desalto has also stepped into the spotlight with two new versions of Clay, which was designed by Marc Krusin and debuted at Salone del Mobile 2015. It's admirable that Desalto is so committed to evolving Clay's aesthetic. After all, it's already scooped the Iconic Design Award 2015, Good Design Award 2016 and the Red Dot Award in the Product Design category 2016, so it isn't exactly in need of a reboot. For Salone del Mobile 2016, however, Clay was presented in a new oval version and in two new finishes, including Tuff stone.
Aesthetically speaking, Hole and Clay are very different tables, but they're united by cutting-edge manufacturing processes. The same is true of Zanotta; the brand claims to have utilised the most advanced technologies to resurrect Piero Bottoni's Fenice table, first constructed in reinforced concrete in 1936 and firmly anchored to the floor of Bottoni's dining room. Despite the villa being bombed during World War II, the table – the heart of the house – is still in place, testament to how certain designs can literally defy the passing of time. Fast forward 50 years and Zanotta has reproduced the surface texture of the original design in lighter-weight polymer composite and resin cement.