This week, Room by Room with FormFire Glassworks takes a look at set of side tables with color and style, the Albers Nesting Tables.
The nesting tables were designed in 1926 while Josef Albers was the director of the Bauhaus. Here he translated his color theory painting work to a piece of functional art, a set of tables that nest each inside the next. With frames of solid oak, and tops of MDF covered with lacquered acrylic, these tables can be used singly or in concert to create vignettes that incorporate color and line. The strong geometric frame is thin enough that the solid wood comes across as fairly light, and the interaction of colors with each other combined with the shiny surface texture make for a fun and modern addition to a seating area or wall setting. These tables are currently available by Vitra through MOMA as part of a Bauhaus retrospective collection.
Bright color combined with strong lines are the theme of the day for my handmade picks. A stylized octopus print plays off the whimsy inherent in the tables’ bright colors, while a day planner echoes its geometric forms. A coffee table is simple in white, but pulls in a thick wood stripe for contrast. The arabic alphabet takes a modern twist in a colorful print interpretation, while the bright orange graphic of a throw pillow adds some round form while keeping within the simplified aesthetic.
Next week I will choose a new iconic piece and give you my picks for accessorizing your modern home.
