I don’t speak Italian, but I like to think that I do speak “designerese,” a dialectical offshoot of several of the romance languages that with disproportionate frequency goes under the guise of the language of Milano. As, for instance, appears in this self-evident descriptor, somewhat universal in its application, of Paolo Cappello’s Fil Low Table for Miniforms: “Tavolino costruito dall’intreccio di due tubi. Disponibile nei colori bianco, giallo, rosso, verde e nero. Struttura: tubo metallo di 18 mm di diametro. Piano: vetro temperato.” If the lexicon is new to you, the translation, somewhat in the spirit of Seinfeld’s J. Peterman, is along the lines of “Low table of intersecting tubular steel. Tempered glass top. Available in white, yellow, red, green, and midnight black.”

Fil. Designed by Paolo Cappello for Miniforms.

Purity of Design in the Elegant Fil Low Tables

Back in 3rings’ early days, I covered a piece that seemed to revel in (arguably superfluous) architectural complexity. It was called the 3Fold Table, and its under structure was a massive network of broad bands of laser cut steel. I like to think of Fil as the inverse of this piece, as the former showed how to lay it on thick and heavy for dramatic effect, while the latter is a testament to the beauty and simplicity of the light touch.

Fil is an engineering coup in its own right. The piece’s structural lynchpin is the subtle interweaving of twin lengths of bent steel, the one angled upward as the table’s central shaft and the other forming a right angle to perform a supporting structure. In sum, the tubes create an easy tri-pod that gives this light and lovely table a distinctive aesthetic and a breezy savoir faire.

Via Contemporist.

About the Manufacturer: The refreshing declaration on Miniforms’ landing page is not only good for a bit of fun, it also reads as a testament to why this Italian company’s furnishings are so very lithe and lively: “We do what we like, that’s the difference.” The difference, in this case, manifests as Miniforms lovely line-up of svelte “prodotti”—the cleverly conceived and seemingly paper-thin Frame chair, the retro Caxia console, and the marvelous Matassa shelf. But there’s many more where that came from. Miniforms’ product lineup is daring and diverse, eclectic and energetic, ambitious yet aesthetically refined.