Kromme Tavolino da Caffè by Robert Wakeland

Argento Arredamento · 2025

Kromme Tavolino da Caffè

by Robert Wakeland

A' Design Award d'Argento 2025 in Arredamento
CLIENT: Nice Form
Estimated Number of Design Views: 56,856
Verification code CBF0A9453B · Verify this award

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release

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About Kromme Tavolino da Caffè

Ispirato al motivo naturale delle onde marine, il Kromme Table utilizza una singola striscia di impiallacciatura per simboleggiare il flusso continuo del mare. Realizzato interamente in noce massello, le sezioni di impiallacciatura vengono laminate utilizzando sottili elementi sagomati insieme per formare una curva scultorea. Supporti minimali in alluminio sono aggiunti per conferire resistenza. Il piano in vetro offre una chiara visione della venatura del legno sottostante. Il Kromme Table rappresenta una dichiarazione scultorea per chi desidera un elemento d'arredo al contempo elegante e funzionale.

About the A' Design Award d'Argento

Kromme Tavolino da Caffè ha vinto l'A' Design Award d'Argento, un riconoscimento enormemente prestigioso conferito a design di fascia alta, splendidi e impressionanti. I vincitori d'Argento sono opere tremendamente brillanti ed estremamente creative che illustrano l'eccezionale competenza, il talento e l'acume dei loro designer. Ci si aspetta che Kromme Tavolino da Caffè sia un'opera meravigliosa, una vetrina di eccellenza, notevolmente professionale e profondamente innovativa. Questo design vincitore dell'A' Design Award d'Argento è un'invenzione molto notevole e ammirata che giova ai confini dell'arte, della scienza, del design e della tecnologia e li fa avanzare. Kromme Tavolino da Caffè è una creazione molto invidiata che evoca desideri, porta sentimenti positivi e accende meraviglia e stupore.

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.
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.
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.
Image Credits: All images and videos are created by Nice Form LLC.