BH | Studio Ripon Round Burl Coffee Table

Burl, the swirling, knotted figure cut from a rounded growth on a tree trunk, has been prized by cabinetmakers for centuries, and the Art Deco makers of the 1920s and 1930s laid it across whole surfaces for its depth of pattern. No two pieces of it are ever quite alike.

A broad, low drum, wide enough for a whole family to gather round, with burl veneer wrapped over its top and down its rounded sides. The veneer is real wood, so the figure on every table is its own, soft and freckled, in Almond or Honey. An engineered wood core keeps the drum stable and true, and the top is rated to hold 441 lbs: stacked books, a loaded tray of drinks or a heavy stone bowl are no trouble. Adjustable feet hidden underneath level it on an uneven floor, and they are non-marking, so boards and rugs stay unharmed.

Centre it in front of a sofa in a bright living room or family room, with a tray of candles, a few art books and a bowl of shells. With no corners, it keeps walkways easy in a room where children and dogs are always passing through. Burl loves linen slipcovers, a jute rug and white walls; add one dark object, a black ceramic vase or an iron candlestick, to give the soft figure something to play against.