The Inspiration behind the Slinky Tables

I consider the slinky tables to be my most innovative design to date because not only was I forced to think creatively in conceptualizing the design, but it also forces the viewer to think creatively as well.  People’s first reaction to the slinky table is usually a grin or a smile, then they inspect how it operates kinetically, then finally some viewer begin to question it as a functional furniture piece because it lacks the traditional glass surface.  This is the aspect that I love about the slinky table because it is truly a conversation piece about the definition of functional furniture.

My late night inspiration for the slinky table was the Greek key pattern.  For some reason I had the spiral pattern on my mind when my head hit the pillow one Saturday night.  It wasn’t till the next afternoon at Macaconi Grill that I began realizing the potential of a table and then I immediately made a very abstract sketch on a napkin so that I could visualize the mechanics of the table.  The concept is very simple.  Metal is malleable upon its on weight.  If you hold up a 12 foot bar of 1/2” steel from one end, it will have a natural downward curve due to its weight.  Basically the slinky table, since it is one continuous spiral, condenses this downward curve into a confined space. 

If you were to take the same piece of steel, still holding it on one end, and shake it, then the metal will flex up and down.  This same flex and spring like capability is captured in the confined space of the spiral within the table. 

BELOW: A sketch of a Greek Key Pattern

I originally conceived the slinky table as one low table surface, however once I started building it the next day, I realized the table surface would be much smaller than my predictions.  Unhappy with the size, I simply attached two tables together which became the double slinky table.  It wasn’t until showing the table that a client expressed interest in the slinky table but preferred a smaller single version.  So the next week I made the two single slinky tables by cutting down a double slinky table (I had made two double slinky table prototypes).

BELOW: The Double Slinky Table in Action (Video Courtesy of New York Spaces)