Sweeping Cocktail Table

Sapele and Glass 20″H x 62″W x 32D

View the Modern Glass Coffee Table in my online portfolio

The Sweeping Cocktail Table is a perfect example of the sculptural furniture that I am known for. The table is presented in oxidized Sapele and clear glass. The table features sweeping bent laminations that act as stretchers to knit the table together. The curves are more than structure, they are the building blocks that I use to evoke a feeling of movement. One curve flows into the next and the next drawing the viewer in and encouraging them to move around the piece. The movement reaches up and over the glass surface in an unconventional moment.

I wanted to take a moment to go into more detail on my Sweeping Cocktail Table. I designed the piece to be at the center of the Tripoli Gallery Of Contemporary Art in Southampton NY. The process was no different than the other custom coffee tables that i have made. I went into the space and tried to figure out a way to satisfy the needs of the gallery as well as satisfying my need to create a unique piece of furniture. I have done this enough to know that if I am successful on both counts I would end up with a coffee table that would stand out in the gallery or any other place that it may end up. I try to react to the space but still strive for something universal. This goal is at the heart of my approach to custom work.

The location contributed the following needs to the design. The size of 30″ x 60″ seemed like it would fit the gallery well. I knew that they needed a tall table that could be used with lounge seating and double as a low writing surface. I also knew that the table would likely be covered with gallery related information.

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The table that I designed incorporated these factors by bringing one of the sweeping curves up and above the tables surface. Regardless of what was placed on the table this detail would not be lost. I hope that it would always act as an invitation for discovery! If the table were not covered then the composition of the stretchers would be quickly apparent through the glass. In the event that the table were covered then the stretchers could serve to draw the viewer in as they approach the table. Either way the table is designed to stand out and be comfortable in this or any other environment.

By Nico Yektai -
New York based designer/maker Nico Yektai opened the doors to his Hamptons studio in 1995 after completing the MFA program at the School For American Craft at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The rigorous technical training complimented his background in Art History, which he studied, at Hobart College in Geneva NY. Yektai has synthesized this background into a singular style that has gained him national attention. Visit nicoyektai.com for more information