I want brushed aluminum….no plastic….no wood….what kind of wood… why not all of them?

The construction idea came from the goal to have as few fasteners or glue to worry about. I need it to mobile if necessary. If something happens to it, I need to have parts on hand.

Passing by the countless pallets of cardboard my office recycled each week led me to my answer. The “useless” cardboard sheets we used as pallet separators and ended up being the perfect size. I could use a large percentage of the four-foot-square sheet to cut the central layers of the table and ottoman. Additionally, they could all be cut in one ninety second cut. The pattern for the interstitial layers is a combination of angles, much like a composite laminate. The pattern also provides a satisfying texture profile which can be modified anytime thanks to its construction.

The birch ends, as pictured in my front room, can be swapped out for any other panel that you can find and cut to size. My new favorite is the brushed stainless steel. My intention is to let the table live and evolve as the years go on. If I want to add a material to compliment the time of year or season, I can swap it in and rack the rest.

The ottoman nests within the center of the table structure itself allowing the entire system to be moved together. Serving as a small table, foot stool, or seat, the ottoman is left to the user to decide its purpose.

With the ottoman removed, the central aperture of the table can serve anywhere from a storage space to a leg passageway when sitting at the table (not my first idea, but I was pleasantly surprised).