Tomoko Azumi founded t.n.a. Design Studio in 2005 in order to “undertake design work in the fields of furniture, household and electrical products, and lighting.” Previously, she had been half of the design team of Azumi, which also included Shin Azumi—the duo responsible for Snowman Salt and Pepper Shakers of 1998 and Edge Wall Clock of 2002. So far, the split has been good for Tomoko Azumi. Recently, she received a 2010 Wallpaper Design Award for the Best Coffee Table for Hexad.

Hexad Coffee Table. Designed by Tomoko Azumi.

Continuing the popularity of the hexagon (and everything beehive related), Hexad Coffee Table is a stackable, extendable oak occasional table with the capability of becoming longer or wider based on the needs of its space and users. Individual units measure 550 w x 535 d x 220 h millimeters. Three Hexads stacked together increase the height to 320 mm. Designed for Benchmark and Rocket Gallery, Hexad is as multi-functional and the t.n.a. Design Studio is multi-cultural. Though t.n.a. is based in London, the company’s lead designer is Japanese and their roster of interns reads like a study in international surnames.

Snowman Salt and Pepper Shakers. Designed by Tomoko Azumi.

Edge Wall Clock. Designed by Tomoko Azumi.

Hexad Coffee Table. Designed by Tomoko Azumi.

Hexad Coffee Table. Designed by Tomoko Azumi.

The unique shape of the Hexad pieces allows for a grouping to be modified to a wild number of possibilities, increasing the coffee table into something long and narrow, or wide and winding. The road Hexad takes is determined solely by the users’ creativity. Great for companies with unique needs or a fluctuating number of employees, Hexad Coffee Table allows for continual metamorphosis. The look of the modules close together is akin to the board of the war game NAW (Napoleon at Waterloo), which features a hexagonal grid. Hopefully, arranging Hexad will not conquer you in the same manner in which Napoleon was defeated at the famous site!