For as many exquisite chandelier and Persian rug design junkies as there are out there, I’m guessing there’s probably the same number of modern picnic table fans who value a nice, hoppy beer. One of the latter, who leads the charge in designs incorporating “togetherness”, is Belgian designer Dirk Wynants who recently hit up the Interieur 2010 show in Kortrijk with his latest collection he calls Hopper.

Hopper. Desigend by Dirk Wynants of Extremis.

In his new indoor/outdoor collection – made by his manufacturing company, Extremis – Wynants came up with a picnic table that links easily to other Hoppers. Contour lines connect the bench seats to the tabletop through the legs. This feature provides a much-appreciated space between the end of the bench and the table base on each end, and makes it easy to slide in and out. Clean lines of thick, sleek angles are outfitted with an optional central units that house oil lamps, ice buckets, grilling surfaces and/or an awning.

Wynants found inspiration for his newest collection after he decided to plant his own hop orchard a few years ago. The son of a cabinetmaker with an education from Architecture Institute Sint-Lucas in Ghent, this down-to-earth designer was practically born into the field. The purpose of his planting hops was to harvest them in order to brew his own beer – but the beer shared joint success when the idea of the Hopper collection was also conceived.

Wynants recently stated of his togetherness movement, “Our designs are a result of all the functionality we think necessary when conceiving a new product and not the contrary. The starting point never is ‘let’s make a beautiful product’, but rather, how can we offer added value? If we have achieved all of this, only then can we think of making it beautiful.”

As one of the “tools for togetherness” designs by Extremis that are aimed at gathering friends and family at the same platform to enjoy life, the Hopper collection in particular is a beautiful, modern representation of a long table from centuries past.