The egg turns up again and again in design-in chairs, bathtubs, beds, lamps, you name it. It is my theory that the appeal of the egg shape lies in its associations of birth and fertility. Humans like to know they can propagate the species, so a little reminder packaged as furniture or decorative object never hurts. Interior designer Barbara Barry doesn't exactly admit to this underlying allusion, but her collection of Oval Egg Occasional Tables illustrates the fecundity.

Oval Egg Occasional Tables. Designed by Barbara Barry. Manufactured by HBF.

Organic, Ovoid Contract Tables

Available in two sizes, Barry's Oval Egg Occasional Tables can be used as side tables, coffee tables, or even as "an informal conference table." The ovoid tables come in various materials, including maple veneer stained light or dark and a solid surface material in alabaster white. These tables, "based on quiet organic forms," work well in hotel lounges and office lobbies. The soft shape may even encourage people to congregate and mingle.

The smaller version measures 17.25" x 12.75", and the larger egg (think ostrich) measures 23" x 17". Place a group of the petite Oval Egg Occasional Tables together and the look is particularly appealing, because of the fruitful connotations.

About the Manufacturer: Hickory Business Furniture, now known as HBF, metamorphosed from a division of The Lane Company, Inc to a contract furnishings industry leader known for "bringing to the marketplace innovative and award-winning designs." The only thing that remains of its origins is Hickory, their manufacturing headquarters in North Carolina. Now employing over 300 people, including a team of expert designers (not the least of which is Robert A.M. Stern), HBF intends to live out its philosophy: "Good design sells."