A Dutch furniture design company RKNL, have created BoBo, a side table that was inspired by the African Baobab tree.
They describe it as, “… cuddly, handy and a little bit perky, a piece of furniture with a distinct character.” Just like the tree with its prominent wide trunk and fragile branches, BoBo also features a relatively wide solid oak center piece with 3 metal plateaus offering space for cups, phones, remote controls and what not.
There are 2 standard versions of the BoBo, Solid oak with White steel and Charcoal oak with Brushed brass
The latter version is colored by the Shou-sugi-ban technique, an ancient Japanese technique in which wood is burned and brushed to form a natural protection. This traditional torching method generates a much richer color than a standard stain and deepens the grain of the oak. After burning, the side table is lacquered to prevent the release of charcoal.
While BoBo does have a very cuddly aesthetic, its also very clean and contemporary and would be a nice fit in almost any space.