Constructed of used plastics, the Melting Pot Table by Dutch designer Dirk Vander Kooij illustrates its own production process. Leftover products, from old toys to VHS videos, peek out from the table top, transforming scrap plastic into a material "too appealing to be called waste."

Made of two large pieces, a table top and conical base, Melting Pot Table fits together like a puzzle. Nothing is added to the melted and molded plastic, which is both a testament to recycling and to ingenuity.

Dirk Vander Kooij is not romantic about the process of creation. He does not hand-make anything. Instead, he relies on a robot to produce his designs layer by layer, so "a history can be literally seen in the product."

Melting Pot Table comes in an array of colors, including Blue Devil, Black Orange, and Leopard. It can also be made to a client's specifications, as long as Vander Kooij can gather the necessary raw materials in just the right hues.

Given how many recycled and reclaimed products try to mask their own materials in an effort to match the look of "virgin" products, Melting Pot Table is a piece that deserves attention. As its name suggests, Melting Pot Table hides nothing about its origin.

Visit www.dirkvanderkooij.com for more information.