Puffed Up

Center of Attention

Although the Puffed Up coffee table appears effortless in its design, its manufacture proved to be one of the more technically demanding projects. The process began with the table legs, where the required diameter was not available in standard stainless steel tube. Instead, each leg was rolled from 3mm stainless steel plate, fully welded, carefully dressed into shape, and finished with a brushed grain to achieve a seamless appearance.

The base presented the next challenge. Its radiused profile could not be formed using conventional methods, so a custom doming tool was developed to heat-form the flat stainless steel plate into the required shape. Attaching the legs to the tabletop required equal attention, as excessive welding heat would distort the surface, leaving imperfections that would become highly visible after brushing. Through a controlled welding sequence, allowing the material to cool between welds, the distortion was carefully managed. Once the surface was sanded and re-brushed, all evidence of the welds disappeared, creating the illusion that the table had been formed as a single piece. The final stage included fitting adjustable feet to achieve the table's subtle floating appearance.