CPH 90 Desk by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec

The CPH 90 is the small desk in the series. 130 x 65 cm at 74 cm high: enough for a computer, a notebook, and a lamp, small enough to be placed against a living room wall or in a bedroom corner without taking over the room. Its legs are not arranged symmetrically like on the CPH 10: HAY describes an asymmetrical base, which clears one side and allows the chair to be slid further from one edge than the other.

The oak is solid and water-lacquered, as with the rest of the series; the edge of the tabletop matches the tone of the base.

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 a pendant lamp, and absorbs the sound of a plate being set down. However, it will leave marks if you cut on it. Laminate is the opposite: a hard, closed surface that fears neither water nor the heat of a dish, and is more reflective. Finally, the water-lacquered wood veneer leaves the grain visible and ages like wood: it is the most beautiful and the most sensitive of the three.

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