Arialle Console Table

The Arialle console table is a unique piece of handmade furniture. Made from English ash and olive ash veneer, its design harnesses the magic of steambending to create sublimely arching legs that maximise the strength of the timber and create elegant curves.

Designed to sit in a hallway or living area, the table emphasises negative space and deftness of design. In a slightly seditious style typical of much of Bertram’s work, the central divide purposefully excludes an object being placed at this midpoint, allowing for asymmetrical arrangements.

The olive ash veneer is book-matched across the two halves of the table giving a beautiful mirror image of its mesmerising figuring and colours. The solid brass caps fit snugly onto the ends of the central divide and have been coated to prevent oxidisation and preserve their magnificent lustre.

As the majority of Bertram’s work is commissioned, every now and then there is space to create pieces of furniture that are speculative in nature and are true collector’s items in their unique and singular nature.

The Arialle Console table is just one of those pieces. It came to fruition as the indirect result of a collaboration, and elements of its design have been carried forward in other projects ongoing. The warmth of the brass beautifully compliments the orange hues found in ash, and these materials helped guide the direction of the design: to create a table that was light in appearance and structure.

Steambending is a simple, challenging, mysterious and sustainable method to form curves that has been used for centuries. This proved to be no less true in this case, with the radius of the curve pushing the limit of the timber’s bending capabilities.