Under the guidance and tutelage of Sean Yoo—a multicultural, international designer who has garnered a host of awards for his pieces and has worked for a diverse group of renowned design companies, from Design Within Reach to Sur&Plus, Casamania, and more. He creates multifaceted and timeless works through his innovative design process which fuses his design skills and eclectic background [1]—I was challenged to flip my design process on its head, step far beyond my comfort zone, and discover the incredible inspiration that can be found when one explores the unexpected.

Two vertically stacked  images of a geometric wooden coffee table, displayed from two sides. It is rectangular with a glass top that is fogged in a single corner; the four table legs–made of dark brown wood–are slotted into the sides of the light brown table base, creating what are essentially walls that are visible through the top. The top image shows two inner sections of the table: the larger space on the left is a fat “L” shape and the section on the right is a small rectangle with two stair-like steps made from the same light brown wood as the table base. The bottom image shows the other side of the table; the fogged square is now the front right corner of the table top and is above the large hidden compartment that sits partially open, and the left section is a long rectangular space.

{1}


My Challenge

A New Process

After selecting my final base composition from an assortment of photographs taken in my apartment, I compiled a library of source images to use in my final portrait—both from the internet and my own photo albums. At the time I was working on this project, I had yet to develop my appreciation for, and commitment to, the documentation of source materials. Upon revisiting this composition for inclusion in this portfolio, and desiring to present the original unedited images to better illustrate my process, I strove to find each image’s initial source and archive them for continued reference.

Square, plastic, stacking storage units with irregular geometric shapes creating the storage surfaces within. The left of the image shows three of the units (in black, white, and orange) stacked together, and the lines creating the irregularly shaped storage nooks flow seamlessly from one unit to the next. The right of the image shows a single black unit at a slight angle, demonstrating the depth of the shelves.
A photograph of the paved streets of Pompeii The stone pavers are irregularly shaped but are fitted together to minimize the grout between them , creating an irregular geometric pattern.

{1} OPUS INCERTUM SHELVING

{2} STONE ROADWAY IN POMPEII

Design a Table Inspired by London

After the first three rounds of inspiration selection and ideation, I knew I had two of the starting pieces of my process: a table was my piece of furniture, and London would be my inspiration. I was lucky enough, throughout my time in university, to have family across the pond who encouraged me to occasionally escape to the city and take a break from my regimented school life with travel and adventuring. My experiences in London were a phenomenal opportunity to find inspiration—with all manner of experiences, cultures, and artforms—there was a never-ending stream of options to fill in the blank of the prompt: “What if a table were…?”

Photograph of a portion of the Globe Theatre’s exterior: its high walls are defined by vertical and horizontal timbers, with occasional diagonal supports, creating a grid-like pattern that is filled in with whitewashed plaster.
Photograph of the “Mind the Gap” slogan painted on the edge of a London tube station platform. The yellow text on the dark gray concrete is in perfect focus, while the closed bright-red doors of the train car are blurred in motion.
Photograph of a dark green body of water with long grasses and trees visible on the far bank. The nearest bank is lined with a short wire fence that stands in front of tall purple flowers that line the edge of the water.

{a} THE GLOBE

{3} THE TUBE

{4} THE HEATH

Photograph of a high-rise brutalist-style apartment complex in London: lines of windows alternate with stretches of cement to create a stacked effect.
Photograph of a modern red double-decker bus in the middle of Westminster traffic. The top of the bus is curved, and the windows create horizontal lines across its body.
Photograph of a small London apartment The kitchen is barely visible in the left of the image and butts right up against a small table with a single chair. In the corner behind the table is an armchair; to its right is an electric heater that is also to the left of a small bedside table that is pressed right up against the bed that takes up the remaining space.

{5} COUNCIL HOUSING

{b} DOUBLE DECKER BUS

{6} LONDON APARTMENT


What if a Table Were…

My inclination as a designer is to prioritize function over form, so the process of developing purely aesthetic objects felt quite unnatural. However, over the course of the iterative process, it became easier to translate my inspiration into aesthetic interpretations; but this ease in process didn’t discourage my pursuit of function over form—especially for the prompts I was particularly invested in. One such prompt was, “What if a table were an apartment?” which I initially developed as a purely functional object. Sean took notice of my enthusiasm for the topic and, upon suggesting the “apartment” concept for me to pursue for my final table, helped guide me towards the exploration of form with the function of the apartment as my inspiration.

A digital drawing of a half-round table emulating the vertical, horizontal, and diagonal timbers in the Globe Theater. The table legs are open, and the top, between the “timber” piecers, is filled with white
A digital drawing of a solid, rectangular, table emulating the stacked effect of the high-rise brutalist apartment complexes in london
A digital drawing of a rectangular table The base is solid, and the top has an inner and outdoor portion with a gap in between. The inner portion–along the edge of the gap–is painted with the slogan “Mind the Gap” with its iconic yellow lettering

…the Globe?

…Council Housing?

…the Tube?

A digital drawing of a red rectangular table with large cutouts. There is an orthographic sketch of the profile of the table: the leftmost edge is a solid surface, the top left corner a hollow rectangle with a diagonal edge. Below this cutout is another cutout that starts at the floor, travels up a diagonal, and then cuts through the rightmost side with a final straight run through the rightmost portion of the table. The final cutout is in the bottom right, fitting into the diagonal of the aforementioned cutout and cutting through the rightmost face of the table. The red perspective drawing shows the depth of these cutouts which go all the way through the table, making an open rectangular concept.
A digital drawing of a kitchen-style table. It has a solid rectangular base and a large rectangular top. The top is predominantly made of grassy turf, framed in on the edges. Within the turf are flat sections to allow for place setting, two smaller rectangles on both of the long sides with a large long rectangular surface down the center.

…a Double Decker Bus?

…the Hampstead Heath?

Digital drawing of one of two perspectives of a giant rectangular piece of furniture. On the left front-facing edge a green section is folded out to reveal a small bed and storage nooks, and on the right font-facing side a blue wall is folded up to reveal a hidden toilet. On the right back-facing edge there are two visible brown rectangles on the surface of the piece, and the right back-facing edge has a blue surface (the same color as the toilet) and a dark-gray surface.
Digital drawing of the second of two perspex of the giant rectangular piece of furniture. On the left front-facing edge the dark gray surface is pulled out to reveal a stovetop, and the blue surface swings out to reveal a hidden sink. On the right front-facing edge the two brown sections are pulled up to access the closet and dresser space, and a large dark gray panel on the front face is pulled out to access a long bench. The dresser spaces hide the closed panels on the back save for the blue panel of the leftmost side.

…an Apartment?


Physical Ideation

The quantity of iterative sketches and models that were required was initially overwhelming, but over the course of the semester I started to truly value the process as I saw my design capabilities flourish in response to each challenge and lesson I encountered. An example of an invaluable lesson I learned is that rules can be set for a project to help shape the initial discovery process, but as the object starts to take shape and the rules start impeding progress, they may absolutely be broken. This lesson was learned when my established rule—to maintain proportions that adhered to the golden ratio [5]—started to hinder the functionality of my table design, and Sean instructed me to throw the rule away. I was initially frustrated that he had led me down that path at all and felt like it had been a waste of time. But after some reflection I came to the realization that establishing rules early on combat the decision paralysis when faced with the infinite number of avenues for exploration. Once the course is set and the destination determined, the rules can be discarded as they become a hindrance to the goal they helped define.

Side 1 of foam core table model A, the base is sealed and there are stairs on the right and left half of the table leading up to a “T” shaped tabletop.
Side 2 of foam core table mode Al, the stairs are slightly visible and the long portion of the “T” shaped table top is fully sealed on the front.
Side 1 of foam core table model B, the base is open below the two sets of stairs leading up to the “T” shaped table top.
Side 2 of foam core table model B, the front of the “T” shaped table top is open and the base support is a centerless rectangle.
Side 1 of foam core table model C, two sets of stairs lead up to “T” shaped table top which drapes over the top of the staircases (where they meet) and flows to the ground in a solid piece.
Side 2 of foam core table model C, the front of the “T” shaped table top is open and the legs form a “T” with the center support running its width.
Side 1 of foam core table model D, predominantly rectangular, the short edge of the closest size has a small, two-sided, staircase leading up to a “glass” tabletop with a line of foam core running down the center.
Side 2 of foam core table model D, the rectangular shape is completely closed and the double staircase is barely visible in the back.
Side 1 of foam core table model E, a fully framed rectangle with a cross on the top creating 4 sections, and the frontmost side (due to the crossed material visible from the top) is split into two rectangular sections.
Side 2 of foam core table model E, the crossed interior frame cuts through the entire table, creating four “room” sections within it.
Side 1 of foam core table model F, it’s fully framed with four sections viewable from the top and two from the front edge. One of the four top sections and one of the two front sections are solid.
Side 2 of foam core table model F, the top below the framing is fogged glass, and the solid corner of the top is above open sides. The back-left corner sides, through the fogged glass, are seen to be fully solid
Foam core table model G is a hyper-simplistic model. The solid base has crossed sections through the center that hold up a clear glass table top
Foam core table model H is similar to table model G but with asymmetrical interior sections holding up the table top. There are four straight supports that run perpendicular to the table edges. And “doors” are open between the created sections below the glass table top
Side 1 of foam core table model I. The back portion of the table is solid, with lines demarking sections, and the front half is clear., The leftmost section has tiered levels, the middle sections has a door sealing access from the front, and the rightmost sections has an accessible level and some kind of mounts close to the bottom of the tabletop
Side 2 of foam core table model I. The left solid panel opens to reveal a multi-sectioned storage area, the right solid panel remains closed and the front of the table is also solid, with lines denoting cabinet doors.
Side 1 of a laser-cut wooden table model. It’s fully framed with irregularly shaped rooms formed by four “walls” that run perpendicular to each side. The rightmost “room” in this view has a small staircase and the right room is a fat “L” shape. The glass top sits below a frame that matches the layout of the “walls” below, and the top right square section of the glass is fogged.
Side 2 of the laser cut wooden table shows the stair “room” from the side. The stairs are open with storage space below, and the space to the left is a long rectangular section.
Side 1 of a full-scale foam table model. The layout is identical to that of the laser-cut wooden table, fully framed rectangle with irregular walls running perpendicular to the edge of the table,  and has objects placed within it. The “stairs” have sunglasses, keys, and books stored on it and the “L” shaped section has games and knicknacks.
Side 2 of the full-scale foam table model shows the stair “room” and a section of the adjacent rectangular “room.” The stairs have an open section below and the rectangular room is seen to hold a box of teabags and a coffee mug.
A full-scale wooden model of the final concept of the table without the glass top. The eyes are completely open save for a square corner with a pull-out door
The full-scale wooden model of the final concept table with the glass top. The top-left corner is fogged above the square section with the pullout door, and the rightmost “room” is the smallest rectangular room with the mini staircase.
View 1 of a 3D CAD render of the final table concept. The “L” shaped section and the section containing the mini staircase are towards the front and the square section with the pullout is shown to be completely solid through the fogged glass
An up-close image of the pull-out door, the pull-out section has its own floor, and the hinges are shown to be no-show fully flush hinges that allow the door, when closed, to be barely noticeable.
The full-scale wooden model of the final concept table with windows on the square pull-out section.
View 2 of the 3D CAD render of the final table concept. The stairs are more visible from the side and the opening below is now apparent. The “walls” that slot into the base are revealed to also function as the legs of the table.

The Final Design

A digital sketch of the final table design with real-wood textures. The staircase “room” is on the right side of the composition, shown to be a white-oak texture (the same as the table base). The walnut “walls” slot into the edges of the table, forming the legs and the interior sections of the table. The right “L” shaped section has laser-rastered Blake Damask patterning, emulating wallpaper without covering the natural woodgrain. The Glass top sits on top of a walnut frame, and the back right corner of the glass is fogged in a square directly above the square section of the table with the pull-out storage cabinet.
A labeled orthographic drawing of the top-view of the table. The small rectangular space is labeled “entryway,” the L-shaped space is labeled “living room,” the square section with the pullout cabinet is labeled “bedroom,” and the long rectangular section is labeled “kitchen.”

The Rooms

are defined by the form of the table. The entryway provides spaces for small items—things that would be brought in and out of the house. The living room provides space for the storage of books, candles, games, and other items. The galley-style kitchen has space for an electric kettle, cups, and tea. Then the final room, made private through the use of etched glass and a door mounted with invisible hinges, is the bedroom, where personal items can be stored

A closeup image of the pull-out cabinet and its hinges. The cabinet walls are made of walnut and the base of the same whiteoak as the table base. The white oak base of the pullout is framed with solid walnut to prevent items from falling when opened, and the same solid walnut is mounted to the walnut wall of the “room” and the pullout to embed the no-show hinges.

The English Walnut

is a non-native tree species naturalized throughout the UK [6], and its lumber is known for its rich, dark brown color [7]. Walnut is popular in English woodworking and can be found in the works of the contemporary furniture designer Matthew Burt [8], the iconic Hamilton Sideboard by the 20th century designer Robert Heritage [9], and in furniture that was crafted as far back as the Tudor period [10]

The Blake Damask

patterning—which is laser-rastered into the walnut veneer—distinguishes the living room from the kitchen space. Patterned wallpaper is popular in English interior design, with floral and damask patterning among the most popular and iconic options. Wanting to avoid covering the walnut with paper or fabric, I opted for the duo-tone damask which caters to the limitations of the laser-rastering process. The pattern that I used here is Blake Damask, a traditional design from the late 17th century English wallpaper company Cole & Son which is still manufactured to this day [14]

A closeup image of the L-shaped (or living room) wall. The Blake Damask pattern that was rastored onto the walnut reflects light differently depending on the angle: appearing darker or lighter than the surrounding oak due to the light’s reflection.

The White Oak

is native to the Eastern United States and is known for its light brown coloration [11]. During the 18th century, the British claimed more than 4,500 White Pines throughout the northeast for ship masts [12], but spurned White Oak, judging it to be inferior to the woods they already used. American forces soon disproved this perception with the use of white oak for the construction of their rival, if not superior, naval ships [13]

An upclose image of the “entryway” stairs. They’re made from the same white oak as the base of the table, and create a small cubby space in addition to the tiered shelf space on top of the stairs.
A technical drawing of all of the parts of the table as they would be laid on for a CNC machine to manufacture. The parts sit within a rectangle that is shown to be 4 by 8 feet in size and comfortably holds every part of the table.

The Size

of the Flat NW4 table allows it to be produced from a single sheet of 4×8 foot plywood. This manufacturing requirement facilitates a fast production time with minimized waste, and with further adjustments to the design—such as omitting the “bedroom” door and revisiting the design of the wood frame—the table could easily be shipped flat to consumers and assembled without any hardware or fasteners. This ease of assembly would also cater to individuals who are on the move, since it could easily be disassembled and returned to its flat-pack state


Information Citations

[1] About page, seanyoo.com
[1] About page, seanyoo.com
[1.3] Sean Yoo at Sur&Plus, sur-plus.be
[1.4] Sean Yoo at Casamania, casamania.it
[2] “Opus Incertum: not only a bookcase” casamania.it
[3] “Iterations in the Design Process” prototyper.io
[4] “What is the framework for innovation?” designcouncil.org.uk
[5] “The Golden Ratio: Is It Myth or Math?” Be Smart
[6] “Walnut” woodlandtrust.org.uk
[7] “English Walnut” wood-database.com
[8] “Woods” matthewburt.com
[9] “Robert Heritage” pamono.com
[10] “Furniture and woodwork in Tudor England” npg.org.uk
[11] “White Oak” wood-database.com
[12] “Eastern White Pine” New England Forests (Timestamp)
[13] “Exploring The Last Green Valley” norwichbulletin.com
[13.2] Initial inspiration: Nick Offerman Interview, Hot Ones (Timestamp)
[14] “The Ever-Evolving Appeal of Cole & Son” fabricsandpapers.com

Side 2 of the CAD rendering of the final version of the table with Piet Mondrian-esque coloring. The colored “walls” with black edge banding continue on this side, with the living room walls a bright red and the entryway walls a canary yellow. The stairs are the same black as the edgebanding and frame.
Side 1 of a CAD rendering of the final version of the table, colored to reflect the color palette of Piet Mondrian. The base of the table is a bright white and the viewable table sides (of the kitchen and bedroom sections) are blue with black edge banding. The frame is also black continuing the black edge visual throughout the entire table.

Image Citations

{1} Opus Incertum Shelving, madeindesign.co.uk
{2} “Pompeii” by Danilo Ascione, britannica.com
{a} The Globe, Feb 13, 2018 @ 12:16 GMT-05:00
{3} “MIND THE GAP” by Leo Reynolds; CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
{b} Hampstead Heath, Jul 18, 2017 @ 12:31 GMT+01:00
{4} “Glenkerry House, Burcham Street” by Stephen Richards; CC BY-SA 2.0
{c} Double Decker Bus near Westminster, Jul 9 2019 @ 18:04 GMT+01:00
{5} “London’s most viewed property” from Zoopla, standard.co.uk
{6} Blake Damask in Metallic Pewter on Charcoal, cole-and-son.com
{7} Black Walnut, Image 2 & Image 5, en.sg-veneers.com
{8} American White Oak, Image 2, en.sg-veneers.com
{9} White Oak, wood-database.com