Headless Ostrich Table

Animal themed furniture is usually reserved for children: the Eames Elephant immediately comes to mind as one of the classier examples of an animal shaped piece. Other typical forms of animal decor include the use of the hide, which can be used as an upholstery or a rug. I’ve seen a lot of cowhide on the market recently, on everything from pillows to chairs to area rugs, which I like both for its rural American roots and its innocence. Compared to leopard or zebra, there is nothing sexy about a cowhide pillow.
Speaking of exotic animals, lets take a look at the Ostrich Table by Ibride. The table is literally half an ostrich made out of a series of flat silhouettes and ribs which create a 3-dimensional sculpture. The wood is a high pressure laminate with a pre-recycled wood core, so unlike its real-life inspiration, there is no chance of extinction. The piece is a laser cutter master piece, which takes an oddly shaped animal and reduces it to the most important lines and displays them in black. An ostrich silhouette in black, (diva black to be specific) with its legs coyly crossed, is about as mysterious and sultry as a giant flightless bird can wish to be. The head of the ostrich is no where to be found, it may be buried in the sand or lopped off for a little peace and quiet. Either way, the resulting side table is oddly elegant and unexpected.

Island Table

Anara Mailybayeva's Island Table is nothing short of impressive. The strong sculptural lines leave a lasting impact and the table breaks away from all the customary monotonous clichés. In addition to the table, the included three non-traditional seats highlights the unique and ingenue perspective of the designer.

The Round Table

Arthur, round table. Designed by Dirk Wynants. Manufactured by Extremis.

As explained by its creator, “The mystical Arthur round table is symbol for justice, equality and joy in life. The round shape stimulates conversation, being one of the most important things in life.”

The Arthur round table with central rotating lazy susan is retro on the one hand, contemporary on the other. If viewed from the side (base and all) it resembles a sort of space-age, geometricized peony in bloom; while from above it might remind you of the dining set in Woody Allen’s Sleeper, or of some rogue component of the docking station in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001.
The table top is segmented (like a pie chart) in a way that neatly demarcates its capacity—8 segments for the eight-seater, 10 for the ten-seater, and so on. This feature fits neatly within manufacturer Extremis’ vision, which is to cultivate equality, togetherness, and productive exchange: “this member of the Extremis family, appropriately named ‘Arthur’, is a synonym for encounter, communication, gathering, hospitality, togetherness.” The name refers to Camelot and the legendary Knights of the Round Table—one of the Western world’s enduring emblems of shared responsibility, justice, and familial/fraternal contentment. Though dining at the Arthur table probably won’t stimulate you to seek the holy grail or defend the kingdom from marauding Saxon hordes, it will eliminate being stuck in that dreaded middle spot of traditional rectangular tables, where good conversation goes to die, where you find yourself with the dubious alternative of a senile uncle on one side and a morose, pubescent cousin on the other.-via