Three Tier End Table — Design Thoughts
Designed by Brian Benham of Benham Design Concepts
Form & Silhouette
The most immediately arresting feature is the leg design. Rather than conventional straight or tapered legs, these uprights flare dramatically outward at the top like outstretched wings or petals, almost architectural in quality, evoking Art Nouveau’s love of organic, nature-inspired form. It gives the piece an upward energy that prevents it from feeling squat despite its compact footprint.
The Three Tiers
The shelves are the heart of the design’s personality. Each tier has a distinctly free-form, asymmetric edge profile. No two are quite the same shape. The top surface is the most restrained (nearly oval), while the middle and lower shelves grow progressively more organic and irregular, like the contour of a river or a leaf. This cascading asymmetry keeps the eye moving and makes the piece feel alive.
Two-Tone Wood Palette
The contrast between the warm cherry used for the shelves and the darker walnut of the structural uprights is very deliberate and effective. It visually separates form from function. The support structure reads as one thing, the surfaces as another, and adds richness without requiring any non-wood materials.
Structural Logic
The technical drawings (front and side views) reveal how thoughtfully engineered this is. The legs are cross-braced with horizontal rails, providing rigidity while keeping the visual profile open and airy. The flared tops of the legs aren’t purely decorative; they also serve as shelf supports, integrating ornament and structure elegantly.
Style & Context
The piece sits at an interesting intersection of mid-century modern (the clean material honesty, the warm wood tones) and studio craft/art furniture (the sculptural legs, the freeform shelves). It would work well as a statement piece in a living room, and be functional enough to hold a lamp, books, or a drink, but distinctive enough to be a conversation starter in its own right.
Final Critiques
The custom design is ambitious, and it largely succeeds. One consideration: the varying shelf depths and organic shapes, while visually exciting, could make it slightly less practical for placing square or rectangular objects neatly. And the flared leg tops, while beautiful, do project above the tabletop plane, which could feel slightly busy from certain angles. But these are minor trade-offs for a piece that clearly prioritizes artistry alongside utility.
Overall, it’s a confident and inventive design, well above the ordinary end table. If you want to watch me build this custom end table.
Coffee & End Tables
