ZinX is a Helmond, Netherlands-based designer and manufacturer of, as they say in a somewhat jazzy yet calculatedly restrained sans-serif type, “all about pure furniture.” Though some might speculate as to exactly what is meant by said “purity,” the answer provided by ZinX founder Gerard der Kinderen will certainly satisfy all comers: “sustainable, environmentally friendly, and built to last.. honest materials, such as oak, walnut, glass, leather, aluminium and zinc are the most important ones, combined with an honest design—simple, basic, but with a soul.” Might der Kinderen be suggesting that, say, polyvinyl chloride has no soul? Say it ain’t so Gerard, for that material has its appropriate uses, but I’m nevertheless refreshed by the classic materials palette found in such pieces as ZinX’s Local Essential Steel Table.

Local Essential Steel Table. Designed by Zinx.

Flawless Execution of a Basic Design

Local Essential Steel is just that. The piece, like of all der Kinderen’s work, is manufactured in the Netherlands using high-tech CNC machining and the eminently essential materials of coated or stainless steel, oak, American walnut (whose colors speak for themselves), or mdf (whose colors are spoken for by you). ZinX says the “table is designed for purists, and for those who, well… just want a basic table.” I couldn’t have said this better myself, and I do want one, I really really do. Wonder what the damage would be on shipping from ZinX’s Eindhoven showroom to Asheville, NC?

The answer to that query would surely depend on the size—among a continuum of modular increase from 160-300 cm long x 90-100 cm wide x 75 cm high. The great variety in sizes makes the purity of the form even more attractive, as you can adapt this classic look to your chosen function: dining table, restaurant table, conference table, or desk. Other potential alterations include legs mounted at the corners rather than offset and table top thicknesses of 3, 3.6, or 4 cm.