The Story of the Tree Table

The idea of creating the tree table goes back to 2016 or 2017 when my parents decided, that the table and chairs of our summer home need replacement. The house is decorated in a thoughtful and cohesive way, which is quite different to the house we usually live in. It has an airy and breathy feel to it and has more a beach vibe or character, whereas our regular home is quite cozy and has a lot of wooden features in it.

It so happened, that as a person who really appreciates beautiful things, I did not entirely trust my parents taste vs practicality mentality and suggested that I would find a table and chairs to fit the aesthetic of the house. I was granted permission and started to google for Italian and French made garden furniture. I quickly found a stunning chair by the firm Fast which is based in Italy. The chair is called forest and it has a beautiful structure that looks forest like. Thanks to our large family and the need to buy many chairs for that reason, we got a great deal on the price. More of a challenge was to find a table that fits 6-10 people. Plus I wanted it to be round and white.

I found a plain white table by a Dutch designer that was large enough, white, and round. But my father was not happy about the price. A conundrum, that I seemed unable to solve. However, it was also not a problem that a few family friends paired with a couple of glasses of wine could not find a solution for. “Why doesn’t Rika design a table. We will build it for you.” After a few moments of contemplation, I agreed that I could indeed design this table.

And that’s how the stone started rolling. The first sketches looked a little like vomit. The life-sized sketch of the 180cm diameter table plate failed because the floor of my flat share in 2016 was painfully uncomfortable to crawl around on. It took a lot of patience, but I came up with a non-repetitive table plate full of trees that branch out from the roots of the trees in the middle of the table towards the outside edge. I never really questioned to how well the table would match the chairs. But by coincidence, we now know, that it matches the chairs pretty perfectly.

My philosophy behind creating a round table and not a rectangular or square one, is that a round table naturally rejects the idea of hierarchy. It puts everyone on the same level. It unifies the people who are sitting around it and offers to create an relaxed atmosphere easily.

This particular table, with the tree structure, symbolises the unbound energy and possibility of groups, families, and collectives to achieve incredible things. Starting from the seeds, which sprout in soil, roots begin to grow like good ideas that unfold into action, when being watered by the right environment, building out tree trunks of core believes and principles that then grow into branches that can bear fruit.

I strongly believe that we all have something inside of us, that makes us uniquely able to contribute to change life on earth to the better. These things can but they do not have to look huge. Sometimes beauty lies in small gestures and kind actions and not much more is needed sometimes.

The tree table design got completed in 2024. It was really challenging to agree on which legs we want and to build a structure, that can hold and support the soft aluminum table plate. I am supper excited that this project is finally finished! And look forward to see what’s coming next.

Warm wishes,

Your Rika