Springs and wires in furniture are usually hidden from sight, like the metal coils that lie way beneath the upholstery of a chair or sofa. But not all designers think that way – and what they’ve come up with in recent history have contributed to the variety in visual and tactile experiences in today’s contemporary bistro furniture, hotel furnishings, restaurant seating, etc.

Take, for instance, the Platner Dining Table. Created by American designer Warren Platner in the 1960s, a decade famous for social experimentation among others, it certainly doesn’t look like your ordinary bar or restaurant table. The table’s frame features vertical steel wire rods that are welded to a circular and edge-framing rod. The vertical steel wire rods are finished in bright nickel and are protected in clear lacquer. The clear plastic extrusion ring of the table’s base makes for a bottom surface that looks and feels smooth. It’s certainly modern-looking, almost futuristic in fact. Looking at the mesh steel base, I can only wonder at how difficult or complicated it must have been to produce during those days. The table measures 70 cm high and the table top has a diameter of 135 cm and is manufactured by Knoll.

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“Con brio” means with great energy, vivaciously, with vigor. It’s a term that’s often used in a musical context, but with the Brio bar table, Romano Marcato has extended it to the furniture industry. Now I’m not sure whether I could call this table vivacious, but some other appropriate adjectives spring to mind, namely “versatile,” “fluid,” and “adjustable.”

That’s because adjusting the Brio table’s height is as easy as do-re-mi. Through a lever-activated gas cylinder, you can make it as high as a bar counter or lower it to dining table height in a matter of seconds. Also, no need to worry about unwanted or unpleasant surprises that will have you jumping out of your bar chairs in shock, like the table suddenly sinking or shooting up at the most inopportune moments. This is because the adjustment lever has a lock, which makes sure the table stays at the height you want. Adding to the Brio’s stability is its heavy stainless-steel base, ensuring it remains steady on a level surface. If there’s one thing that’s sure to irritate me, it’s having my coffee or cocktail slop over because of a table that wobbles at the slightest movement.

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Plastic, steel, aluminum, wood – these are only some of the materials from which contemporary bar furniture is made today. Wood furniture, like the others, has its fans and its detractors. Some restaurant owners think of it as too old fashioned and unsuitable as an interior design accessory for attracting their target clientele. Still, there are many others who are entranced with wood’s natural looks and texture, and who choose wooden tables for their dining rooms.

Mahogany is one popular type of wood used to make restaurant tables and chairs. Since mahogany is heavy, you probably won’t find it in commercial bar chairs and tables – unless as a finishing. Also, it’s expensive! That’s why it’s usually veneered on to less costly types of wood. It’s very strong and durable, yet it’s easy to work. The texture is somewhat coarse with its straight or interlocked grain. The color ranges from reddish brown to dark red, imparting a sense of dark warmth.

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Being known as an icon bears with it great honor as well as great responsibility. This doesn’t apply just to people, but to objects as well: clothing, bar stools, cars, bistro tables, to name a few. The ES Day & Night 1815 coffee table designed by Italian maestro Alessio Pozzoli is within the range of reaching iconic stature because of its simple yet funky appearance.

Designs of bistro tables run the gamut, but there’s just a certain something about a number of them that not only catches the eye but makes you do a double-take. I’m not sure what it is about the ES Day & Night table that’s so alluring; is it the clean and simple base and stand coupled with the slab-like top? Who can tell? Whatever it is, it’s something that designer Alessio Pozzoli conceptualized well.

Let’s take a sneak peek into this Italian designer’s background. Alessio Pozzoli was born in 1960 in Milan, studied car styling and graduated in 1983. There have been many companies for which he worked on personal projects; he has also won numerous awards for his work. His projects have likewise been featured in various exhibitions and museum collections.

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There’s been a lot of hype about Microsoft’s revolutionary product called Surface, a groundbreaking development in the field of electronic tables. This one brings an added dimension to the phrase “interactive furniture,” as can be seen in this YouTube video clip. To say that its potential impact on the bar and restaurant industry would be considerable is certainly an understatement!

Microsoft head Bill Gates said that it’s about time tables did more than just stand there, doing nothing. I guess he has a point there. The prospect of being able to play with and use commercial bistro tables or bar tables on whose touch-screen surface one can order food and drink, create digital art, play games – all through the slightest touch of one’s finger or pressure from certain objects, is enough to make any person anticipate the Surface’s launch, much like how a child eagerly counts down the days until Christmas.

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Restaurants large and small over the world usually strive to give their establishments a unique air to distinguish it from most others, either through the food they serve, service perks, or unusual furnishings. Some go for glitzy, outrageous décor, some go for classic, minimalist lines. Some go for a cozy, comfortable atmosphere reminiscent of something rustic in a contemporary setting, and use wood tables and chairs to help achieve this.

One good table that would seem to be ideal is the EM TA 008 wood table, which has a teak wood frame. It measures 120 x 75 cm and weighs 23 kilos. It can accommodate up to six people, and its price includes the table top. Tension brackets keep the legs sturdy, steady and in place even when it is moved. Moreover, the reclaimed teak from Indonesia used in the manufacture of this table meets the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), a collaboration among retailers and environmentalists to foster sustainable forest management all over the world.

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Every once in a while you come across something that is so simple yet so breathtaking in its simplicity. This is true especially in the design world, and it’s a pleasure to behold if it comes from someone who designs out of passion, especially if the designer is someone who has yet to establish a reputation in commercial design. Whether they’re designing bistro café furniture or hotel chairs or bar tables, their creations are like a breath of fresh air.

One such design to emerge is Rafael Morgan’s Hope Table. According to his description of the table on his own blog, the Hope Table isn’t just about hope; it’s also about beauty and visual poetry. Visual poetry it is indeed, with its clean, simple lines and curves. For him, it’s an embodiment of hope, a message for all other designers out there to never give up. What an encouraging message, and what a great way to say it. The Hope Table looks so pure and beautiful; it would seem to fit perfectly in an intimate setting at a restaurant or café. Bistro area tables have never looked so romantic. The Hope Table isn’t available yet for commercial production; plans are underway to release it in the latter part of 2008. For the moment, Morgan is contemplating other color schemes for the table.

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