Every so often a furniture design comes along that tears up the rule book with its uniqueness, exclusiveness and originality. The Awkward Table does just that. The creation – and first collection – of award-winning Designer Jonathan Mizzi, whose eponymous studio has just been nominated for ‘Best Breakthrough Talent’ by FX no less, received its first public outing last month at Decorex International – the mecca for the world’s best interior designers.
Mizzi is known for projects spanning high-end design, architecture and art, for his futuristic techniques and now for the Awkward Series. The line is made up of a limited edition range including an eight-seater dining table, a two- to four-seater table and a coffee table.
The inspiration for the series comes from an unlikely source – yoga. Captivated by the perfect state of balance, strength and poise of Bikram yoga’s ‘awkward’ pose, Mizzi resolved to try and capture this in sculptural form. Added into the formal mix is Mizzi’s affinity with sci-fi and animation – as well as Art Deco and Neo-Futuristic architectural design. With its graceful curves and fluid form, the table appears to be suspended in motion.
“The perfectly balanced legs are designed to loop around you,” explains Mizzi. “So much so that sitting at the head of the table becomes an immersive experience – you become one with the table.”
Not that the construction of said legs was without its problems. Their continuous curving is not a natural way to support a surface, and in order to make the ‘tip-toeing’ design stable, Mizzi and his team spent months perfecting aluminium honeycomb and stainless steel internal structures. To enhance the impression of fluidity – but without loss of stability – glass fibre was chosen for the table’s body.
The exclusiveness of the Awkward Series is reinforced by the fact that each piece has its own mould. Users can also choose their own luxurious metallic finish – copper, gun metal, or gold – each sprayed with a unique liquid metal in a tinting technique used by Formula One cars. A gold finished coffee table was designed as a limited edition piece for the Decorex launch. The polished, reflective metal finishes enhance the table’s dynamic sculptural stance through crisp reflections and highlights. The Awkward Series proposes a dramatic metamorphosis of traditional table posture, making each of its tables an elegant centrepiece for eclectic spaces.