Geometry was never one of my strongest subjects when I was still in school. I mean, I know that a triangle is a triangle, so why do I need to prove it? My geekiness lies in other fields. But that does not mean I do not appreciate geometric shapes, because I do. I like the clean lines and precise forms of geometric forms, including those seen in modern furniture such as that offered by the Austrian designer trio made up of Bernhard Buchegger, Michael Denoth, and Thomas Feichtner.

Their company, Buchegger Denoth Feichtner Design (BDF) offers über modern, starkly minimalist furniture and accessories. Let’s take a look at some of the chairs designed by this trio, all of which I think would fit in well as bar room furniture in modern hospitality settings.

First there’s the piece simply titled Public Chair, which as it name states is designed for public spaces. Made of granulated foam plastic, it measures 110 x 98 x 100 cm and comes in a riot of colors. Those will brighten up any restaurant’s reception area, I reckon.

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Christmas may be over, but we’re still in the midst of the holiday season so I still have some of the spirit of cheer left in me, and certain things still remind me of Christmas even though they probably weren’t created with the holidays in mind. Take for example the Star Table by Michael Randazzo.

Stars do remind me of Christmas, which isn’t surprising since images of stars are associated with the season: the star that the Wise Men followed to reach the Christ child, the star we place on top of the Christmas tree, etc. That isn’t to say the Star Table is appropriate only for Christmas. It’s a timeless piece of furniture that will look good in your restaurant or café whatever month of the year it is. It measures 29 inches high, which seems a good, safe height for most dining establishments.

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I remember a TV movie back in the 1970s about the short life of David Vetter, who had to spend his days and nights alone inside a sterile compartment because he had a very rare disease that left him with practically no immune system, and so very susceptible to infections. He was referred to by the media as the Bubble Boy because of the way of life he was forced to live. Eero Aarnio’s iconic Bubble Chair originally from the late 1960s reminded me of that movie.

But this radical piece of furniture didn’t have tragic or life threatening circumstances surrounding its creation and production. It was a technological marvel, taking the design world by storm because of its unique concept and appearance.

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Quite a number of commercial service and hospitality establishments have some sort of reception area or waiting rooms where clients or guests spend time before doing what they came to do at that place. Many restaurants have such reception areas and since patrons spend some of their time there before being shown to their respective tables in the dining room, it is important for restaurant owners and managers to ensure that guests are comfortable and in a good mood for dining. Contemporary reception seating that is attractive and user-friendly is a must.

An attractive piece of furniture, called the Folda sofa would do this job well. Created by Danish designer Louise Campbell in 2001, it isn’t what you’d exactly call new, but it’s nevertheless contemporary and modern enough to fit in well in most restaurant waiting areas.

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Imagine magnifying a wine bottle that’s a hundred times bigger than it really is, and them removing the cork and sitting on it. Or piling about 20 corkboards on top of one another and then sitting on that. I would think they’d be pretty comfortable, even though snobs would turn their noses up at them for their lack of elegance.

That isn’t to say that cork furniture is an eyesore. Quite the opposite, in fact. Take, for instance, Jasper Morrison’s Cork Family Stool/Table set, which I saw over at nova68. Though lacking in the bells and whistles department, the simple lines and shapes of the items in this collection are somehow pleasing to look at. But then again, Morrison, considered widely to be one of the masters of modern design, is known for the simplicity of his designs. This is probably why they are so visually effective. In addition, cork’s natural grain is like wood; it comes in different patterns. Morrison’s pieces are made of pressed cork granulate and measure 13 by 12.20 inches.

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