In literature, Ulysses is the title of a highly acclaimed – and somewhat controversial, during its time at least – novel by James Joyce. It’s also the Latin name of a figure in mythology, who is known as Odysseus in Greek. In the furniture world, it’s a table. And what a lovely table it is.

The Ulysses Table was designed by Helmut Jahn and Yorgo Lykouria and was inspired by tables that were used in refectories in monasteries of yore. But unlike those heavy slabs of wood that the monks of long ago used, this one is fully modern. The slim profile and sleek lines all scream 21^st century. Well, not scream perhaps. More like a dignified statement of the present times.

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I’ve always been a fan of the Japanese shabu-shabu style of cooking. This is where guests cook certain dishes at the dinner table itself, which may be surprising to some people unfamiliar with the concept. This brings to mind the movie Lost in Translation, where Bill Murray’s character wonders about a restaurant where guests get to cook their food themselves.

Maybe if he saw the Live Cooking Table from the pmg profile marketing group, he would become a fan of tabletop cooking. At first glance, it doesn’t look anything can be cooked on it; it just appears to be a modern, sleek dining table. But looks can be deceiving, because food can actually be cooked on this table – either by a chef or by guests themselves if they wish.

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There are some people who can’t stand to share their personal spaces with anybody else. They can’t even stand for having someone else’s things encroaching on their territory. For instance, it would upset them if you so much as inadvertently place your drinking glass a few centimeters on their table space. Well, the Sechser table designed by Peter Draenert, which I saw over at Bonluxat, would probably meet with such a person’s approval.

It looks like a series of small tables that are all stuck together in one big table. It seats six, with small round surfaces for each one. So in effect, it’s like each person has his or her own personal table. Slim chance of mistakenly placing your drinking glass or other tableware in another person’s table space with this one!

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It’s happened many times: order something off the Internet or on the Home TV Shopping network and when the package gets to you, you have a heck of a time assembling the product even though it comes with complete assembly instructions, and sometimes an instructional video to boot. Self-assembly can be fun – when you’ve ordered something like a toy or a recreational product. When it comes to furniture though, the easier it is to assemble, the better – whether we’re talking about home cabinets or contemporary bistro chairs and tables.

Bar, café, bistro and restaurant owners will appreciate something like the Pix Café Table. Designed by Peter Schaffner, it’s available exclusively at Design Within Reach. Schaffner wanted to create something that was easy to assemble, versatile, timeless, and space-efficient. This table is the result of his planning, and it looks like it met all his objectives.

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Back in 2005 there was a movie called Domino, which was based on the story of Domino Harvey. She was a fashion model who became a bounty hunter and who ended up dying of a drug overdose. That film made quite an impact on many people. The Domino Square Table, on the other hand, might not be quite as dramatic, but it nevertheless makes its mark in the design world.

The table’s simple, clean, and modern design makes it suitable for many places and indeed it is found in restaurants, fitness centers, country clubs, and cruise ships the world over. It is part of the Lucca collection designed by a Spaniard named Joan Casas i Ortinéz for Indecasa in Barcelona, where he is head of the design creative team. I like that company’s name, Indecasa. It kinds of sounds like “in the casa,” which means in the house. But that’s just me being fanciful. Sure, the furniture that Casas designs can be used at home, but as mentioned earlier they are also popular in commercial settings. His counter stools, for instance, would be great as commercial bistro chairs.

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I like reading lists that talk about “the best of”: the best beaches, the best chocolate, the best restaurants. Admittedly, most of these lists are subjective, based on the writer’s own personal preference or experience. But I think they’re fun to read and to learn from. Just like Anya von Bremzen’s list of the Best New Restaurants of 2007, published in the travel section of CNN’s web site.

While the article doesn’t really focus at all on restaurant furniture, like indoor lighting or bistro area chairs, it does describe somewhat the appearance and configuration of restaurant tables. For instance, a restaurant called Sensing in Paris, France, has what she calls blond sycamore tables. At a restaurant called Three, One, Two in Melbourne, Australia, the tables are white-napped while those at the Rockpool Bar & Grill in the same city have a spotted-gum design. At the Lung King Heen restaurant in Hong Kong, the tables are swathed in damask. Meanwhile, the tables at the Guy Savoy restaurant in Las Vegas, Nevada, have more than ample space between them to “plot a casino-vault heist.”

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It must be quite satisfying and flattering to realize that something you’ve created has become a classic in just a short span of time, relatively speaking. Just like Jorge Pensi’s round café table. It was only in 1988 that Pensi created this piece of furniture, yet it has now become one of the standards for European outdoor cafes.

The Pensi round table was designed to go along with his Toledo Stacking Chair. It’s manufactured in Spain by Amat-3 for Kroll in full compliance with Pensi’s specifications. The table measures 28.25 inches high and its stainless steel table top has a diameter of23 inches. The table top features a sanded disc pattern, though a metallic laminate one that is resistant to ultraviolet rays is also available. It’s perfect for establishments that need commercial bistro tables for outdoor use.

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