Design: Quandry Table
Materials: White Oak and 3/4" thick glass top
Designer: John Berg
Link: bergdesignarchitects.com
Location: New York, NY
Price Point: The table has been expensive to produce as one off custom orders. We will be able to offer it at $1500.00 ea based on a minimum run of 50 pieces.
"The Quandry table was designed for a specific client who wanted a timeless design that would work well in a living room interior featuring a mix of modern and traditional elements. By inverting two of the four table legs the table construction was designed to be sculptural but also take on Escher like qualities of movement as ones eye traces the lines of the frame."
"With the clients permission the table has now been produced, 4 times; twice in walnut and twice in white oak. The table was made in Western MA and the glass comes from Brooklyn. In the interest of making the table more affordable I would like to have it produced in quantity and to use reclaimed wood but have not yet found the right outlet."
HOME/STUDIO TOUR
I work between an office in NYC and my home office where most of my furniture design work happens. This shot is the home office, in Springs L.I. which recently became part baby nursery. I like to have inspirational images near by and have a beautifully distracting view of the tree tops.
These are a few maquettes of furniture designs from the past and in progress.
This is my garage work space where I build mock ups and small models.
FAVORITE DESIGNER
I have a special appreciation for architects who are able to work well at very different scales and synthesize form and function. My favorite designer if forced to choose is probably Alvar Aalto, a Finnish architect whose work ranged in scale from urban planning to furniture design.
The common thread throughout his work was a focus on the relationship of the human body to space or to the materials that we come in contact with. For example, in his buildings, the “wear surface,” is always a warm material, probably wood and in the case of a stair handrail shaped to fit the hand in a pleasing way. His furniture is similar in that the forms for all of their aesthetic beauty are also extremely functional and designed for maximum comfort.
FAVORITE DESIGN
Although an obvious mid century modern icon, I must shamelessly confess that my favorite design is the Eames molded plywood lounge chair. This chair is the first and only piece of furniture that I bought for myself for a very long time after college. I find it to be an incredibly comfortable place to kick back with a good book, although, what I really enjoy are the lines and sculptural quality of the piece.
• View John's original entry with comments
• Design Showcase 2010 Judges
• Go to 2010 Design Showcase Main Page
- 3 finalist entries will be posted on Monday, 9/27 (no voting yet)
- 3 more finalist entries will be posted on Tuesday, 9/28 (no voting yet)
- VOTING BEGINS on Wednesday, 9/29 at 11:30 am EST with an announcement
- VOTING CLOSES on Friday, 10/1 at 5:00 pm EST
- Two winners will be chosen: 1 judge favorite and 1 crowd favorite
- WINNERS ANNOUNCED on Friday
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The design is practical and has a flow that grabs ones interest with simple geometric shapes.
Great looking table with visual interest from any angle.
This table is so solid and feels safe and functional - and yet it gives the impression that energy is constantly moving around and through it - its a great balance. Beautiful.
The design is so elegant and simple yet complex at the same time. It is certainly contemplative and lovely. John Berg gets my vote.
I hope you keep on designing furniture, Mr Berg! This is one of the most lovely and compelling tables I have ever seen.
I voted for you all the way, but in the end, I think you will succeed with this design (and hopefully more) far beyond the contest.
The quandry table is something you can just look at FOREVER. It is elegant, natural, and a conundrum that just makes you want to stare and stare. I owned one other item that had that kind of staying power: a poster of a Greek monastery built on top of a seemingly inaccessible mountain. One look and you could not look away until you had satisfied your racing mind. Thank you, John, for creating the kind of functional art that is truly "endlessly fascinating."