Gold Furniture Design · 2020
Codependent Table
- A' Design Award 2020 Gold Winner in Furniture Design
- Awarded April 15, 2020
- CLIENT: 1th Studio
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 61,721
- Verification code 8D4E31CBAF · Verify this award
About Codependent Table
Codependent melds psychology and design, specifically focusing upon the physical manifestation of a psychological condition, codependency. These two intertwined tables must rely upon each other to function. The two forms are incapable of standing alone, but together create one functional form. The final table is a powerful example of which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
*Codependent Table* emerges from a rich lineage of Scandinavian and organic modernist furniture traditions while proposing a distinctly contemporary meditation on the relationship between object and accessory, permanence and portability. The work appears to engage with fundamental questions about how furniture might transcend mere utility to become a system of interrelated forms that invite ongoing reconfiguration and personal engagement. Fletcher Eshbaugh demonstrates exceptional command of the wood turner's craft, evidenced in the precise taper of the legs, the subtle concavity of the tabletop that transforms a flat surface into a containing vessel, and the perfectly calibrated nesting of the removable trays that suggests both Japanese craft sensibilities and the mathematical precision of industrial design. The chromatic strategy proves particularly noteworthy: the ebonized ash finish allows the natural grain architecture to remain visible as a ghostly presence beneath the applied color, creating visual depth that rewards sustained observation while the bleached interior tray provides a luminous counterpoint that activates the entire composition. One might observe references to the circular tray tables of Danish mid-century design, yet the work innovates through its codependent system wherein the trays become essential compositional elements rather than mere accessories. The title itself invites contemplation of interdependence, suggesting perhaps that objects, like relationships, achieve fuller expression through thoughtful connection rather than isolation. The restrained palette and geometric clarity speak to a design philosophy that values essential form over ornamental elaboration, trusting the inherent beauty of material and proportion to carry expressive weight. Viewers might consider how this piece transforms the simple act of setting down a cup or book into a moment of aesthetic awareness, and how the removable trays might migrate through domestic space carrying both practical cargo and the visual memory of their absent home.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Codependent melds psychology and design into a category termed AnimaForma, representative of both mind and form. The table’s central premise is a physical manifestation of a psychological condition, specifically codependency. This concept is the focus of this piece, with two interlocking tables that rely upon each other to function. Each table incapable of standing on their own, yet together they create a more stable form echoing the psychological condition.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Overall: 79.5cm Diameter, 46cm Tall. White tabletop: 36cm Diameter.
- Tags
- Animaforma, Psychology, Furniture, Table, Codependent
- Production Technology
- Both interlocking tables were handmade in a Brooklyn workshop using Ash as the only material.
- Design Challenge
- The most challenging portion of this project was the implementation of the design. Many features such as the lip of each piece of the table, the radii underneath the table, et cetera needed to be mapped out and specialized jigs and tools were created and used to finish the table in its final form.
- Project Duration
- Codependent started in November 2017, and was completed July 2019, debuting as a feature on Core77.com, Design-milk.com, and in Home & Design Trends 9th Anniversary Special Issue.
- Operation Flow
- Envisioned as an eccentric yet everyday coffee table, the black form creates the larger of the two surfaces and is the primary tabletop surface. The white form that pierces the black creates a basin that can be used as a valet for special objects or a vessel for a centerpiece.
- Research
- Design Research: Pointed research on the condition of Codependency tempered with how this would physically manifest itself in the form of a table. Many iterations of designs were made, and engineers were consulted to ensure table stability. Proof of concept was performed via scale 3D printed model, and materials and tools were selected to be as efficient as possible in a hand crafted setting.
- Inspiration
- This design was inspired by a fascination of how profound a role psychological conditions play in an individual's lives. This often goes unnoticed by the affected, and is the source of unresolved discomfort. With this, the larger vision for this table was the hope that the design can spur a larger conversation about mental health, psychology, and well being.
- Image Credits
- All images photographed by Fletcher Eshbaugh
Colors of Codependent Table
Get Codependent Table
Design Interview about Codependent Table
Psychology is the basis for the table, and the specific condition is codependency. This is the first of many projects that will focus on what I refer to as "Anima-Forma" or a physical representation of a psychological condition.
I wanted to achieve awareness for mental health as it is something that I feel is important. I also wanted to blur the line between art and commercial enterprise and this was the perfect vehicle for both.
I am looking into sort of a tiered offering for clients by adjusting the design / materials / processes, and as well I am expanding the "Anima-Forma" series which I am working on now.
I think the idea was quick, but to get the form right I went through a few months of designs and refinements until I settled upon this final direction.
This was something on my own that I believed in, and wanted a signature piece for my venture 1th Studio to offer. It was a chance to do something with limited constraint about something I was passionate about so it was a super exiting project to fulfill.
Codependent is in limited production that I 100% control myself, so that is satisfying but I haven't ruled out a partnership for this or future work in the series.
Passion for both design and psychology.
I think that there has been such a richness of interesting furniture design out there, it's hard to say that one influence in particular pushed me in this direction. I think there was definitely a need for this type of project to come from me and it wasn't absolutely known until I started working through the idea.
This piece is certainly high-end, but I designed it for anyone that appreciates design and is looking for a story to go along with the work.
I think that there have been plenty of designs that have incorporated psychology covertly-in fact all design does. What I was trying to do though, was to bring the idea of psychology as an overt part of the product, to have them both lead the product rather than as a footnote.
The name is derived from the condition of codependency, and it means "excessive emotional or psychological reliance on a partner" essentially.
Pen and paper, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, Fusion 360, and Solidworks.
The concept and the form are both intertwined so I would say they both define the design collectively.
I initially bounced my work off of one of my colleagues and initially consulted an engineer to cross-check the design as a second set of eyes. During the prototyping phase I worked with a master woodworker and we built the prototype over a period of time.
The design was definitely refined in 3D software and I 3D printed a scale model before making the full size prototype. Other than that it was artisanal in nature, but the entirety of the design lends itself to being almost totally fabricated by machine.
Psychology is a life long interest of mine, and my father is a practicing psychologist so I absolutely worked with him on some of the conceptual aspects of this design, as well as some research conducted by myself to really familiarize myself with the features of the condition.
Really the biggest constraint was allocating enough time to producing the prototype once we got the design. I ended up being very busy and to work and oversee given my schedule was very demanding.
I am very proud of this work, and I think that it speaks to both psychology and design in a meaningful way. I also see this as a defining moment in what can be done between the realms of art and commercial enterprise.
I learned to practice patience in a serious way during the design of this work. I think there were many challenges but without that patience I don't think that things would have turned out nearly as well.
Just that I am thrilled to have won a Gold A'design Award for my work, and I am looking forward to showcasing more from the "Anima-Forma" line in the near future!