BH | Studio Hvar Round Travertine Coffee Table

Travertine, a banded limestone laid down by mineral springs, has been quarried in Italy since Roman times; much of the Colosseum is built from it. Its soft, pitted surface and warm colour have kept it in fashion with architects and furniture makers ever since, and it had a particular revival in the 1970s.

A round slab of travertine sits on a single drum pedestal in a wood veneer of warm mid-brown, and a veneered board beneath the stone strengthens it, so top and base read as one piece. Travertine is naturally pitted and banded, which gives every top its own pattern. The round top gives generous room for drinks, snacks and a few books, and the single drum leaves the floor around it clear for feet. Felt pads under the base protect the floor, and assembly is simple.

It is the centre table for a living room, set before the sofa to hold coffee cups, a cheese board on a Friday evening and the remote between films. In a smaller sitting room or apartment its round shape keeps walkways easy, and in a big bedroom it makes a table by a pair of chairs. Sandy stone on a warm wood drum suits oak floors, wool rugs and plenty of daylight; add a low bowl of olives and a stack of travel books.