The Les Amis coffee table is built around companionship as a design principle. Composed of two cubic volumes within a single composition, the relationship between them becomes the focus. The grounding titanium granite plinth anchors form and space, while the highly reflective polished steel surface above catches and releases light, activating the material contrast.
Granite evokes enduring, earth-formed classicism; polished steel introduces projection and momentum — reflective and future-facing in character. Together, they hold past, present, and future within a singular form.
Low and architectural, the table is governed by proportion, offset, and alignment. The measured interval between the volumes becomes a third element, shaping shadow and depth. Three horizontal planes emerge from the geometry, creating layered surfaces within a compact footprint. The leg detail lifts the stainless element just enough to introduce lightness, while the relationship between the two volumes allows function without disrupting the clarity of the geometry.
Form in Dialogue
Adam Court, Creative Director at OKHA Design Studio, expands on the ideas behind Les Amis.
YLA: What was the starting point for Les Amis?
Adam: The starting point was companionship as a structural idea. I was interested in how two forms could remain distinct, yet only make sense through their relationship. The table is resolved through proximity, balance, and reliance rather than a single dominant gesture.
YLA: Why the name Les Amis?
Adam: Les Amis means “friends”, and that felt exact. The two volumes are separate in material and presence, but neither exists without the other. The design only comes into focus when you read them together.
YLA: How does materiality shape the design?
Adam: Material is doing the real work here. Stainless steel and titanium granite carry very different energies. One reflects and sharpens light; the other absorbs weight and time. Placing them together creates tension and clarity at the same moment.
YLA: What role does negative space play?
Adam: The space between the forms is as important as the forms themselves. That interval creates breath, shadow, and movement. It allows the composition to feel alert rather than closed.
YLA: Where does Les Amis sit best in an interior?
Adam: It works best in interior living spaces with a sense of openness — salon settings, long sightlines, and linear sofas. It acts as a low topography rather than a single block, anchoring the space through proportion and material rather than scale.
YLA: How does Les Amis connect to OKHA’s broader design language?
Adam: Cool materials are central to how we design at OKHA. Stone and metal carry weight, temperature, and memory. They register physically. Les Amis is an expression of that material intelligence, where restraint and precision allow the object to hold presence without excess.
Conceived for interior living spaces where material contrast can fully register, Les Amis pairs with linear seating in open rooms and salon settings, creating a low table topography shaped by light, weight, and space. Les Amis— “friends” in French — captures the essence of the design: two distinct presences held in calibrated alignment and animated by proximity.
