“Low” Table and “Coffee” Table, are-in turns-somewhat ubiquitous phrases in interior design, the first a sort of generalized catch-all moniker for all things flat that don’t quite rise to elbow height, and the second a genially prescriptive suggestion for what one might do with such a creature. Not that I’ve got anything against coffee (I’m a stove-top expresso addict, in fact), but fair use demands I affirm the contention of La Vetreria Designs of Italy that low tables lend themselves to myriad activities beyond the ritual of morning and afternoon sipping and chatting, however pleasant such a ritual may be.

Cocktail Table. Designed by La Vetreia Designs.

Forthwith, then, La Vetreria’s Cocktail Table collection… Functionally, these elegant and alluring pieces certainly match their coffee-topped counterparts (yes, they are a flattish surface about yea-high), but everything about their aesthetic says “seventeen dollar martini,” rather than “seventeen dollar cappuccino.” With an obvious affection for classical allusion, La Vetreria has named these pieces for iconic mythological figures. Thus, “Eolo”-a three-legged and tripartite segmented creation that looks capable of some species of hyperkinetic whirling locomotion-is named for Aeolus, God of Wind; while “Ulise”-also three-legged but favoring a solid, single-piece top-has Homer’s imminently versatile sailor/traveler/soldier as namesake (perhaps because the elongated legs imply a languor that flies in the face of truth-remember, Ulysses relied on his wits above all); and “Achille” exhibits a stout functionality apropos for this warrior among warriors, whose one soft spot was to be found underfoot.

The allure of this collection is timeless, to be sure, though I can’t help but wax seasonal as I imagine what bevy of imbibable goodies might grace their flawless forms: the trendy pomegranate martini is certainly colorful, and would create the best kind of monotonic menage atop Eolo; or how about an icy Skyy Vodka served with a sugared rim, perhaps garnished with mint and a swirl of connoisseur’s Cointreau? Whatever beguiling aperitifs your holiday menu offers, La Vetreria’s Cocktail Tables will certainly complement their crystalline charisma.