Trent Jansen’s SS Tidal Coffee Table

Description from Trent Jansen

For many, surf culture is a quintessential aspect of a uniquely Australian lifestyle. The beach conjures memories of summer holidays and the freedom of long days spent by the ocean, exploring with friends and family before returning to the campsite, with third degree sunburn. On days like these we learned how to spot a rip, squirt cungie, and monitor the relentless cycle of the tide. These lessons begin when we are children and continue into adulthood, shaping our intuition and forging a resolute respect for the beauty and treachery of the ocean.

The Tidal Collection was designed to represent these quintessentially Australian experiences. This collection draws on wave diagrams and the nostalgia of childhood, beachside holidays, in the design of a range of stainless steel wire furniture, made for use by the pool or ocean.

The three chairs in the collection are designed based on the formation stages of a wave as it rolls toward the shore: The Tidal Sun Lounge is the thick, laid back wave at the back of the set; the Tidal Lounger is a curling wave at the place in the set where surfers usually lurk; and the Tidal Chair is the close-out that breaks on the sand. This collection makes use of the waves at the heart of Australian beachside culture and transforms these ephemeral forms, created by the tide and the shore, into sculptural, functional objects.

The four tables in the collection are designed based on the less common occurrence of waterspouts, which sometimes touch down on the ocean during a storm. Like a waterspout, these tables twist as they ascend, inspired by the spout’s spiraling water that rises to the cloud cover above.

• Manufacture – Tait.
• Material – Stainless steel wire, PVC, glass and porcelain.
• Production – Melbourne, Australia.
• Image Credits – Mark Chew and Haydn Cattach.