Tra Luoghi, Italian for “in between places,” is designed to fit in between furniture. Unlike most coffee or end tables, it is devoid of sharp angles and straight lines without being circular. Rather, the three-legged table has an undulating and organic quality to it.
“It plays with space differently,” says designer Jordan Tomnuk. “I think it changes how you create your environment.”
Inspired by Italian pieces that are handmade in small quantities, the 26-year-old University of Alberta industrial design grad first created full-scale drawings to get a feel for how the piece would look. Tomnuk tends to start most of his designs with geometric shapes, in this case a triangle, and then softens the objects into more animate forms.
He hand-shaped a rectangular piece of walnut, defining the edges above the legs to draw the eye down the length of each limb. He chose black walnut because it’s native to Canada and the grain stands out, while evoking a sense of warmth.
He used a glass tabletop for lightness. “I think if it was a solid surface, you wouldn’t get the same feel. There is a lot of detail where the glass sits and I think that should be displayed, not hidden.”
The glass gives you a view of the table’s three legs. “Creating this back leg [breaks] that symmetry at the top of object.”
Unlike most tables, the Tra Luoghi design has easily identifiable front and back features; from different vantage points, the table’s appearance changes noticeably.
Hair and makeup by Nicola Gavins
