In recent years, workplace design has become increasingly residentially influenced. From a commercial furniture perspective, leading furniture design and manufacturing company, Zenith, has been at the forefront of this movement since the shift began in the mid-2010s.

With the release of the Teddy table range, the newest addition to their innovative, design-led, high-performance furniture and workplace offering, Zenith has upped the ante on what the humble desk can be and do.   

Inspiration can come from anywhere. As designers, we all know that the most exciting creative solutions or aesthetic directions come from turning our attention beyond our own field. Perhaps we cast our gaze back in time, drawing inspiration from design history. Or, perhaps we look beyond our own design discipline. 

A throwback to a 1950s style icon

Elegant, timeless design makes for a stylish addition to any workspace

The inspiration for the Teddy table and workstation range – characterised by its round tubular legs with a flat, pronounced foot pad and a sense of playful, colourful panache that disrupts the ordinary – came from looking both back and beyond to the iconic 1950s sartorial style of the Teddy Boys, Britain’s first youth subculture. 

Aesthetically, the distinct tailoring of the Teds’ fashion finds expression in the robust cross bar detail, which mimics the straight tailored hem of the Edwardian style jackets. The bold, youthful rock-and-roll energy the Teddy Boys were known for informs the colourful frame elements, which are available in all of Zenith’s standard powdercoat finishes.

What makes the Teddy range even more unique in a commercial furniture context is the way the Zenith design team have seamlessly integrated unmistakable aesthetics with high-performance materials and practical functionality.

The new collection comes in a variety of shades for personal customisation

As we’ve come to expect from Zenith, the range responds to the dynamic needs of the modern, collaborative workplace environment. In addition to meeting and occasional tables, wall-mounted tables, standing height tables, desks and workstations, the innovative design team developed the Teddy Project Table.

A direct response to the need for furniture to serve as a tool for dynamic team-based collaboration, the Teddy Project Table is offered in addition to the standing height collaboration tables.

Design to suit your needs

Customisation is another defining element of Zenith’s offering. All the Project Tables in the range are stacked with optional features. Designers can choose the frame and top colour, and specify glides or castors. There is also the very practical, very innovative option for low-voltage power to be reticulated through the frame, giving users access to power outlets without compromising valuable worktop space.  

Varying heights and sizes allow the new collection to suit a wide range of needs

In step with the shift for workplaces to feel like home is the prioritisation of sustainable design. Without doubt, the most sustainable design is that which lasts and can be easily repaired, reused or adapted.

Recognising this, the intentionally restrained design and reduced form of the Teddy range have been meticulously engineered to be robust yet economical. Components have been consciously pared back to reduce material consumption without compromising on style, and the range is fully compatible with existing Zenith accessories such as cable management products and privacy screens. 

In spatial adaptation terms, these features make it possible to effortlessly transform any workplace environment at the same time as being authentically responsive to the fluid, multifaceted needs of individuals and collaborative teams in real-time. 

Practical and deceptively simple, the new Teddy collection is at home in any corporate or shared workspace

Of course, no matter how functional, practical and adaptable a piece of office furniture may be, its true value can only be realised when it’s being used. Drawing people into the office is about so much more than logic and pragmatism. People have to want to come to work – which is where design and designers come into their own. 

By infusing the workspace with a touch of dandyish elegance, the Teddy range not only solves practical, task-related design challenges, but it also stimulates the senses and disrupts the ordinary with its playful, distinctive edge. Who wouldn’t want to come to work in a space inspired by the audacious, independent spirit and bold optimism of post-war youth?

Photos: Supplied by Zenith.

Discover the Teddy range.