Chess Board

Chess, as a game of intersecting paths, serves as a design motif and function of this coffee table. Lines of extension drag the eye from the chess board out to the coffee table, marked by the end grain of finger joints. 

The chess board itself is situated to divide the table into implied thirds, representing the three stages of a chess match. Legs are extruded from the squares of the board to support the board in two positions; the board can be lifted out and rotated 180° for playing on the ground or at a sitting height. For contrast and compliment, African mahogany and hard maple are used in the chess board and for the table and shelf respectively. 

The table as a whole allows chess players to play comfortably at multiple heights, with space for their teas and coffees.