A coffee table I saw at Design Within Reach recently immediately reminded me of Chinese figurines that my mother had around the house when I was growing up. It isn’t that the table, designed by Eva Zeisel, looks remotely anything Chinese-inspired. Still, the table’s base brings back to mind miniature versions of a similar kind. Only instead of holding up a table top, they cradled Oriental carvings.

Zeisel’s coffee table has an ornate aura, yet looks modern enough to be suitable for today’s restaurants and cafes. It doesn’t come across as minimalist, yet it isn’t ostentatiously, outrageously in your face either. The smooth, flowing lines and the graceful curves of the base and table top come together nicely to make an effective visual impact. The only thing left for a café or restaurant owner is to make sure it is paired with suitable café chairs.

The table top is made of tempered glass with a flat-polished edge. The base is of solid ash wood that is finished in black lacquer. The Zeisel coffee table measures 18.5 inches high, 58 inches wide and 33 inches deep.

Zeisel, who was born in Hungary, says she loves beautiful things. Purism in modern design isn’t her cup of tea. If she thinks something is pleasing to the eye, then it is a thing of beauty. Zeisel spent a year in solitary confinement in the Soviet Union in the 1930s; perhaps that’s part of the reason why she has a deep appreciation of beautiful things, having been deprived of it during that time. Soft curves reminiscent of feminine forms can be found in her work.

The design world apparently thinks very highly of Zeisel and her creations. Some of her pieces have been included in the collections of museums in various countries. Also, she has received design awards. With gorgeous pieces like her coffee table, that isn’t so surprising.