Furniture designer Maarten Baas doesn't subscribe to conformist notions of beauty and symmetry. He finds appeal in the character of aged patinas and wear from usage. As such, Baas doesn't seek to create furniture or decorative objects that are perfectly proportioned — for proof, look no further than to the unconventional cabinets of his Close Parity collection or the chairs with oddly shaped backrests he designed for Lensvelt.
Baas breaks unspoken rules, and his influential work is as much art as it is functional design — he’s garnered support from likeminded creatives in his field such as Phillippe Starck and Marcel Wanders, and explores how he might put unusual materials to work such as clay or charred wood in the construction of his chairs and table lamps.
Baas was born in Germany and grew up in the Netherlands. After graduating high school, he began his studies at the Design Academy in Eindhoven. Before he had even graduated, Baas made an impression on instructors and students alike with his graduation project.
Using pieces of secondhand furniture he had procured online — some of which was manufactured by IKEA — Baas scorched the wood all the way through with a blowtorch. He soon found a way to preserve the wood once it was burned through, and this led to his inaugural Smoke series. The chairs and a lighting fixture from this line were put into production by Moooi, a furniture brand Wanders cofounded with Revised’s Casper Vissers in 2001. Hospitality guru Ian Schrager got in touch, and a pool table from the collection was custom-made by Baas for the Gramercy Park Hotel.
Since Smoke, Baas has produced numerous pieces, with his best-known efforts involving the repurposing of existing furniture and modifying it to look the way he wants. Ever the innovator, Baas introduced a series of clock designs as part of an art installation that began to take shape in 2009 at the Salone Del Mobile in Milan.
The designer’s clocks see an incorporation of video and other technology. Each piece, such as the ten-foot tall model installed at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport in 2016, presents the illusion of human figures toiling to keep time behind its face by way of a 12-hour recorded performance.
Baas’s works are held in the collections of many notable museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
$20,826 / item
Contemporary Clay Coffee Table Multileg by Maarten Baas
By Maarten Baas
Located in Warsaw, PL
These vibrant tables are from Maarten Baas’s iconic ‘Clay’ collection launched in 2006. The idiosyncratic childishness of this collection is created through Baas’s individual hand mo...
Metal
$8,833 / item
H 11.82 in W 43.71 in D 39.38 in
Contemporary Bordeira Stone Coffee Table, Pink Onyx, Handmade by Greenapple
By Rute Martins, Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Contemporary Bordeira Stone Coffee Table, Contemporary Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple. The Bordeira stone coffee table was designed to bring the essence ...
Onyx, Travertine, Marble, Carrara Marble, Brass, Stainless Steel
$38,028
H 13 in W 46.86 in D 28.35 in
Contemporary High Polished Bronze Coffee Table by Colo Studio, France
By Art Decor
Located in London, GB
Bonze coffee table 'Radiant' by Colo studio, 2022 Material: Bronze, golden polish Dimensions: H 33 x 119 x 72 cm Year: 2022 Limited and numbered edition of 8 pieces + 4 AP, handmade...
Bronze
$7,655 / item
H 11.82 in W 43.71 in D 39.38 in
Contemporary Bordeira Quartz Coffee Table, Patagonia, Handmade by Greenapple
By Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Contemporary Bordeira Quartz Coffee Table, Contemporary Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple. The Bordeira quartz coffee table was designed to bring the essence of nature into interior spaces, drawing inspiration from the captivating lines of Bordeira Beach. Through its sweeping curves, ocean meets the land in perfect harmony, expressing the true freedom of organic design. A favorite piece among designers, the Bordeira quartz coffee table combines fine craftsmanship and noble materials, making it the ideal centrepiece for contemporary interiors. The Bordeira coffee table...
Travertine, Granite, Marble, Carrara Marble, Brass, Stainless Steel
$6,986 / item
H 13.78 in W 59.06 in D 31.5 in
Contemporary Modern European Caravel Low Coffee Table in Walnut by Collector
By Federico Peri
Located in Castelo da Maia, PT
Contemporary Modern European Caravel Low Coffee Table in Walnut by Collector 21st century Colombo, the Italian explorer, left from Portugal with 3 (as low tables are) Caravels to discover the world. Inspired by the different materials used on the boats, combined with the Portuguese craftsmanship Federico Peri created these 3 tables using rattan, walnut and marble. DIMENSIONS W 150 cm 59” D 80cm 31,5” H 35 cm 13,8 PRODUCT FEATURES Walnut PRODUCT OPTIONS Available in all COLLECTOR wood swatches The Collector brand was born and Portugal and aims to be part of daily life by fusing furniture to home routines and lifestyles. The company designs its pieces with the intention to embrace diverse styles and to blend in inside any contemporary setting. Since 2011, Federico Peri is a Milan based interior & product design studio. The projects range from retail concept, commercial spaces, private homes to furniture design. Working with authentic materials, aged, that tell a story of craftsmanship isn’t simply a standard of beauty but represent a real design-belief by which the studio starts any kind of project, whether it is furniture, installation or interior. AWARDS : – 2019, Architectural Digest Italy, SEVEN for the FUTURE – 2018, “Rising Talent Awards” at Maison & Objet – 2017, Candidates as “Best Emerging Designer” at the Milan Furniture Fair – 2016, Nominated at German Design Awards – Shapes lighting...
Marble
$7,800 / item
H 13.78 in W 31.5 in D 70.87 in
"Emi" Coffee Table by Marcos Amato, Brazilian Contemporary Design
By Marcos Amato
Located in New York, NY
Designed by Marcos Amato, the Sahara collection (that comprises the coffee tables Emi and Kou) was designed after long days trying to portray the calm and breathtaking landscape of t...
Walnut
$14,722
H 19.69 in Dm 39.38 in
Contemporary Modern Italian Coffee Table Mod, "Cosmos" Designed by Superego
By Studio Superego
Located in Madrid, ES
Coffee table designed by Studio Superego, made in black Marquina marble with agates of different colors and with brass legs. Single edition. Agates are natural stones and therefore ...
Agate, Marble, Brass
Contemporary Thicket Round Coffee Table by Ted Boerner
By Ted Boerner
Located in Miami, FL
Contemporary Thicket round coffee table by Californian Designer Ted Boerner. Circa Early 21st Century Inspired by a dense group of indigenous trees in the Anderson Valley of Norther...
Steel
$6,478
H 11.82 in W 43.71 in D 39.38 in
Contemporary Bordeira Stone Coffee Table, White Onyx, Handmade by Greenapple
By Rute Martins, Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Contemporary Bordeira Stone Coffee Table, Contemporary Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple. The Bordeira stone coffee table was designed to bring the essence ...
Travertine, Granite, Marble, Carrara Marble, Brass, Stainless Steel
$9,000 / item
H 14.18 in W 59.06 in D 59.06 in
"Muxarabi" Coffee Table, Brazilian Contemporary Design by Arthur Casas
By Arthur Casas
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
This Coffee Table was made by Arthur Casas, who directs a studio of architecture in São Paulo and in New York, which takes his own name, and due to its work on projects in the majori...
$11,189 / item
H 11.82 in W 59.85 in D 55.12 in
Contemporary Bordeira Coffee Table, Green Guatemala, Handmade by Greenapple
By Greenapple, Rute Martins
Located in Lisboa, PT
Modern Bordeira Marble Coffee Table, Contemporary Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple. The Bordeira marble coffee table was designed to bring the essence of nature into interior spaces, drawing inspiration from the captivating lines of Bordeira Beach. Through its sweeping curves, ocean meets the land in perfect harmony, expressing the true freedom of organic design. A favorite piece among designers, the Bordeira marble coffee table combines fine craftsmanship and noble materials, making it the ideal centrepiece for contemporary interiors. The Bordeira coffee table...
Travertine, Granite, Marble, Carrara Marble, Brass, Stainless Steel
Contemporary Coffee Table 'Tenza 2' by Carmworks, Customizable
By Camilo Andres Rodriguez Marquez
Located in Paris, IDF
Coffee table Tenza 2 by Camilo Andres Rodriguez Marquez (aka CarmWorks) Solid oak or cedar / Burnt wood or natural Suitable for outdoor use Each piece is made to order and h...
Oak, Cedar
$14,490
H 11.82 in W 47.25 in D 47.25 in
"Tiles" Coffee Table Designed by Arthur Casas. Contemporary Brazilian Furniture.
By Arthur Casas
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
The Tiles coffee table, designed by Arthur Casas is a solid and elegant creation with a view on minimalistic design. The structure is made of steel and the top is made of a beautiful stone called "São Tomé". The structure is made of painted carbon steel and the beautiful top can be made in Navona travertine, roman travertine, Carrara marble, or Nano glass. The table can be manufactured in many sizes, please don't hesitate to contact us in case you have a different measure in mind. It is a versatile piece. These are the most common sizes: 100 x 100 x 30h cm, 120 x 120 x 30h cm, 140 x 140 x 30h cm, 180 x 80 x 30h cm e 178 x 152 x 30h cm. One of the most important contemporary Brazilian architects and designers, Arthur Casas Mattos graduated in Architecture and Urbanism at the Mackenzie Presbyterian University of São Paulo, in 1983. He heads the Studio Arthur Casas...
Stone