Belgian design company Wildspirit is a firm after my own heart. Their adorable mascot Happy, a black and white spaniel with droopy eyes and a silky coat, is featured prominently on their website: “By purchasing objects from the Wildspirit collection you contribute indirectly to the daily education of Happy.” Yes, by buying any of the Wildspirit furniture, you help to spoil Happy with, among other things, “short trips abroad.” Being a dog lover of enormous proportions, Happy’s happiness is good enough reason for me to place an order with Wildspirit furniture. If you need more motivation than one canine’s quality-of-life, then might I suggest Motley by Samuel Chan.

The Motley collection. Designed by Samuel Chan fir Wildspirit.

These drums made from a solid block of wood “show innovation in function, technique and form.” By gently curving the top of Motley, Chan has formed a pouf that’s comfortable to sit on. Motley can also be used as a side or coffee table. Constructed of either birch or cedar, the multipurpose unit can be used inside or out, depending on the wood you choose–cedar works equally well for interior and exterior uses, going so far as to “keep the insects away.” With models available in 40, 60, and 80-cm diameters, the Motley collection offers lots of possibilities. Given its namesake, which means heterogeneous, varied, or mixed, Motley should be flexible, versatile, and adaptable–which it is. Use the tall Motley as a pedestal to showcase a piece of sculpture, the wide Motley to accommodate unexpected guests, and the medium Motley to hold an artistic table lamp (Orchid and Miconos might do the trick).