I’m a big fan of Japanese culture and tradition. They have such entrancing rituals that go back centuries: there’s the tea ceremony, there’s ikebana (flower arranging), and there’s origami (paper folding). Origami in particular is very entertaining; with just a piece of paper and nothing else but your imagination you can create figures of swans, fishes, flowers, whooping cranes, etc. So imagine my delight when I saw the Origami Bench-Table by Matthias Demacker. It truly is kirei (beautiful).

Demacker, a German designer, had this to say about his creation of the Origami Table: For this design I was inspired by origami. I have tried to translate this Japanese art of folding into a piece of furniture with a fragile and elegant appearance that is sturdy enough for daily use.”

It isn’t fragile, that’s for sure. The table is made of aluminum, so I’m thinking it would be suitable for outdoor use too. But paper still played a big part in Demacker’s design process. He used lots of it to make scale models of his Origami Table. I’m having fun thinking about what those scale models must have looked like, they probably had different-looking legs and different table top sizes. In any case, the end products are available in four colors and in two different sizes, and they’re manufactured by van Esch.

The Origami tables would be eminently suitable for Oriental-themed establishments, like hotels, bars and restaurants. Whether they’re located in North America, Europe, Africa, or elsewhere, these lovely pieces of furniture will give guests a taste of something of the Far East. Now, if Demacker would make something like contemporary hotel chairs to go along with the table! If he or somebody else hasn’t already.