UC124
old french oak slab
120x80x40 CM
Year built
2024
Function
Aux Table
Status
No longer available
UC124 is a small coffee table with plenty of charm, built around a particularly special piece of timber. Its defining feature is a wide slab of old French oak, unusually broad for a European-grown tree. However, its dimensions were not quite enough for a dining table. Sometimes, the best way to make the most of exceptional timber is to find the format that suits it best. In this case, a commission for a coffee table provided the perfect opportunity.
The grain and colour of the oak needed little embellishment, so the tabletop was kept deliberately simple. With no timber to spare for the legs, Iñigo Calleja's design takes a straightforward but characterful approach: four cylindrical elements, subtly waisted and gently tapered, with a broader base. Turned by hand, they give the table a reassuring solidity and a sculptural touch without competing with the beauty of the wood.
Their connection to the substantial tabletop is another defining detail. The legs are fitted into the top and project through its upper surface, where each joint is finished with a carefully crafted wooden wedge. A traditional woodworking technique that not only secures the connection but also becomes one of the piece's most distinctive details.
The result is a table of uncomplicated design, yet with a remarkable presence and a strong handcrafted character. It was conceived to bring warmth and authenticity to a living room dominated by stone and glass. Interestingly, the abstract backgrounds in the photographs make it difficult to appreciate its actual scale, while suggesting another possibility: in the right proportions, this same design would make a spectacular dining table. One we may well return to in the future.
