San Francisco, California
Designed and manufactured by Yvonne Hung and Byron Conn of Otelier, the new height-Adjustable Table Collection changes the user’s working posture, from sitting to standing and back again, offering a revolutionary support for the user.
It is a collection that reimagines the standing desk from the perspective of design and craft in the context of working from home—especially smaller homes.
The project has been awarded a 2021 Good Design Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
When COVID hit and the world shifted to working from home, people urgently needed to find comfortable and productive workspaces at home.
Realizing the increased physical and psychological strain of working from home full time, Otelier sought to create a new genre of standing desks that not only provides the ergonomic benefits of height-adjustability, but also multi-functionality that enables flexible use of space, and aesthetics that appeal to both sight and touch.
The collection began with the Eat-Work Table, a multi-purpose height-adjustable dining table and standing desk in one, designed for people working in their kitchens or dining rooms.
The table accommodates up to six as a dining table and two as a standing desk, intentionally sized for smaller homes and allows for changing functions throughout the day.
An optional rechargeable battery renders the table completely wireless, while four legs provide extra stability.
Its minimalist aesthetics, hidden electronics, and warm wooden features make it a comfortable place to eat, work, or play.
After Otelier designed the Eat-Work Table, friends and family asked for a desk, which was added to the collection.
The height- adjustable desk is designed for those who spend their workdays on the computers, cleverly concealing unsightly cables and powerstrips under the table, and sized to fit up to two monitors.
Otelier’s goal was to design the most beautiful standing desks.
Given the toll of working-from-home full-time, the table’s visual language aims to inspire comfort and be a piece of furniture that people actually want in their homes.
A minimalist aesthetic characterized by rounded edges, smooth wood surfaces, clean lines, hidden electronics, and four legs instead of two, visibly differentiates the table from other electric standing desks.
High quality materials and workmanship, both for the motorized legs and the wooden top, mean that the table creates little noise in motion, and is extra stable.
Both the Eat-Work Table and Desk are designed to be modular and flat-packed. Customers can choose between four legs or two legs.
With sustainability in mind, the tabletops are made with FSC wood and Greenguard certified finishes, and electronics used are PVC-free.
Additionally, Otelier is retailing the tables using a circular model where customers will have the option to resell used products or parts on its website to encourage reuse, shifting consumer behavior away from a throwaway culture.
By challenging the status quo, Otelier’s height-adjustable table collection raises the bar for height-adjustable tables, and provides an alternative that is more beautiful, functional, and suitable for the home.
Project: Height-Adjustable Table Collection
Designers: Yvonne Hung and Byron Conn, Otelier
Manufacturer: Otelier
