Some things are just so gosh darn pretty, it’s a pleasure to look at them again and again. I’ve seen lots of many kinds of pretty furniture, and there’s one more I’d like to add to the list: the Apollo Table from Folkform. When I first heard about it, I had no idea what it looked like. At first I thought it was named after the god in Greek/Roman mythology. But nope, it turns out the Apollo Table was named for a species of butterfly.

It isn’t shaped like a butterfly – at least the table top isn’t. What it does have is a real butterfly embedded in the masonite hardboard surface. Organic decoration is one of Folkform’s design principles. The idea is to add organic materials to the design equation in order to create new sensations, form new impressions. Adding to the butterfly theme are the table’s leg and base, which look like they are surrounded by butterfly wings. It would look so pretty, either in the home or for use elsewhere, as contract bistro tables, perhaps.

The Folkform design agency is based in Stockholm, Sweden. It’s kind of interesting to note that the Apollo butterfly’s population declined steadily in that country during the 1950s, supposedly because of acid rain. I sure hope the creature’s numbers have increased since then. It would be bad to learn that endangered animals were harmed in the making of the table!

Folkform is a woman-owned business enterprise. The duo behind it, industrial designers Chandra Ahlsell and Anna Holmquist, have both their own individual projects and collaborations with corporate clients. Folkform has received numerous awards, such as the 2006 Future Design Days Award, for their work. As evidenced by their Apollo Table, they have a passion for experimentation, especially with natural and organic substances. I’m just glad they decided to call the table Apollo, and not something unwieldy, like lepidoptery.