CPH 30 table by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec

The CPH 30 is the rectangular table in the Copenhagen series. It features four solid oak legs finished with water-based lacquer, slightly splayed outwards and set back from the corners: this inset allows someone to be seated at the end of the table without their legs hitting a table leg, and gives the piece its lightness despite its length. Height 74 cm.

Available in four sizes: L 200 for six people, L 250 for eight, L 300 for ten, and an L 250 version with a depth of 120 cm for use as a workspace or meeting table. HAY presents it interchangeably as a dining table, desk, or conference table: the same piece fulfills all three roles depending on the room it is placed in.

If you need the table to extend for special occasions, take a look at the CPH 30 extendable table: it features the same design with a central sliding mechanism beneath the tabletop.

Three tabletop materials, three uses

Linoleum is not vinyl: it is oxidized linseed oil mixed with wood flour and resin, pressed onto a jute backing. It is matte, warm to the touch, does not reflect light from pendant lamps, and absorbs the sound of a plate being set down. However, it can show marks if you cut on it. Laminate is the opposite: a hard, sealed surface that is resistant to water and the heat of a dish, and more reflective. Finally, the water-based lacquered wood veneer leaves the grain visible and ages like wood: it is the most beautiful and delicate of the three.

In all cases, the edge of the tabletop is lacquered to match the base: this is what gives the table its continuous line when viewed from the side.