BH | Studio Leiden Glass-Top Coffee Table

Steel tube and plate glass first met in furniture in the late 1920s, when European designers began treating the factory as a source of beauty rather than something to hide. The idea was simple and has held up for a century: let the structure show, keep the lines straight, and let light pass straight through.

This square coffee table is built from rows of slender polished stainless steel rods, gathered into two open side panels that turn at the top corners to carry a clear glass top. Stainless steel resists rust and comes up bright with a soft cloth, and the glass wipes clean just as easily, so coasters, cups and fingerprints are never a worry. With no drawers or shelves underneath, the rug or floorboards stay in view and the room keeps its sense of space.

It belongs in a living room, a lounge or a reception room. In front of a deep sofa in a city apartment it carries a stack of monographs, a candle and the evening's glasses without crowding the floor, and in a studio or office waiting area it gives visitors a place for coffee and magazines. Bright steel and glass look especially good over a dark wood floor, with charcoal upholstery, a sheepskin and a single sculptural vase.