Kromme 咖啡檯 by Robert Wakeland is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award 銀獎 in 傢俱設計 Competition Category.

銀傢俱· 2025

Kromme 咖啡檯

by Robert Wakeland

Client: Nice Form

A' Design Award 銀獎 Winner in 傢俱 Category

56,856

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #165909

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Kromme 咖啡檯

Kromme檯的設計靈感源自海浪的自然紋理，以單一木皮條象徵海洋連綿不息的流動。整件作品完全採用實心胡桃木打造，木皮部分透過層壓技術，將薄片壓模拼合成雕塑般的曲線。簡約的鋁材支撐結構增添強度。玻璃檯面讓人清晰欣賞下方的木紋。Kromme檯是一件雕塑式的設計宣言，專為追求時尚與實用兼備的人士而設。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 銀獎

Kromme 咖啡檯是 A' Design Award 銀獎得主，這是授予頂級、華美而令人印象深刻的設計的極為崇高的認可。銀獎得主是極其卓越、極具創造力的作品，展現出其設計師傑出的專業技能、才華與敏銳。預計Kromme 咖啡檯將成為一件出色的典範之作，兼具非凡的專業性與深刻的創新性。這件贏得 A' Design Award 銀獎的設計是一項備受矚目、令人欽佩的發明，造福並拓展藝術、科學、設計和技術的界限。Kromme 咖啡檯是一件令人羨慕的創作，它喚起渴望，帶來積極的情感，並激發驚嘆與讚嘆。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Crafted entirely out of solid walnut veneer, the Kromme Table uses a very simple curvature to allow for a glass top. The veneer sections are laminated using 1/16” pieces molded together to form a sculpture like curve. Minimal supports crafted from aluminum are added for strength. The glass top provides a clear view of the wood grain beneath. The design is inspired by ocean waves, using one long strip of veneer to symbolize the continuous flow of the sea. A sculptural statement for those who want a piece of furniture that is both stylish and functional.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 444.5 mm x Depth 1333.5mm x Height 355.6mm
Tags: Sculptural Furniture, Coffee Table, Bent Lamination, Curved wood, Solid Walnut Veneer
Production Technology: Due to the nature of how veneers are cut with a knife, not a blade, it produces almost no waste as opposed to a thicker saw producing about 40% sawdust. While the visible layers of the piece are straight grain walnut, the interior uses the less desirable sections you typically get from true veneer. Such as sap wood. Those were placed into the center layers which ended up creating very minimal waste.

Attention to detain when creating the form was the key to a successful and accurate production. The form used to create the molds was fixed to a flat surface using dovetail sliding joinery. It served as a perfect track and avoided any movement while clamping.
Design Challenge: How to build this long flowing structure out of a single strip of wood was the main challenge. Steam bending was another option that was explored. However, you need to cut strips at a thicker weight to still maintain sustainability to some extent. And ripping 90 inch strips 4 times per section proved to produce too much waste. Thats's when bent lamination of thinner veneers was decided upon for construction.
Research: The initial concept of this design was inspired by ocean waves. I wanted to create a piece of functional and beautiful furniture that was constructed in a unique way. Hence the long single strips of veneer used to laminate the structure. You don’t often see bent lamination executed in this complexity. Which was part of the motivation behind this method of construction. Sure, joinery could have been used. However the result would not be the long flowing grain often seen in nature. One of the details that was important to maintain.
Inspiration: The goal was to create a table that was unique in both construction, form and inspired by nature. It was also important from a design point of view to be very simple, hence staying with one fluid piece of veneer for the construction. A finished piece that was just as bold as it is simple.
Project Duration: This project was started in July 2023 in New York City. It was executed and finished in upstate New York in August of 2024.
Operation Flow: The result is a sculptural piece of furniture that is as much of a conversation starter as it is functional.
Team Members: Robert Wakeland
Image Credits: All images and videos are created by Nice Form LLC.