OSIS TABLES BY LLOT LLOV

A set of salt-stained tables from the German design studio

Surprise! Salt isn’t just for making food extra tasty. Okay, so it’s common knowledge that salt is useful, but we were rather surprised when we learned that it was the secret behind Llot Llov’s Osis tables.

By its very nature, salt readily absorbs and retains moisture, drawing water from its surroundings. As Llot Llov explains, artists frequently use salt in silk painting. When salt is sprinkled on paint-wet silk, the salt absorbs the liquid and paint pigments, leaving lightened spots that create patterns on the material. The team at Llot Llov decided to see if the same technique was applicable to wood.

The German design studio (whose clever IDA storage previously caught our eye) spent six months perfecting the salt patterns on their Osis tables. The salt is sprinkled on glazed spruce wood and allowed to react. Different types of salt provoke different patterns on the spruce wood. Bigger salt produces large, more defined rings with smaller salt producing softer patterns.

The initial collection features four different patterns, each made with a different salt and different technique. The table tops are available in three different sizes and sit upon a powder-coated steel base. When together, the three tables can be tucked into one another or can stand completely on their own. The collection debut at Maison & Objet in Paris and is now available on the studio’s website.