Until ‘bring-your-own-furniture’ becomes a thing, people living in small houses will always have problems entertaining large groups of guests. It isn’t really feasible to have a spare set of 10 chairs that you MIGHT need when guests show up, or even a larger table that you can pull out when you’ve got friends and family coming over. As apartments get smaller and social circles get bigger, it becomes increasingly difficult to have large parties in tiny homes. The Drop Leaf Table addresses this architectural challenge for flexible living. In its everyday configuration, the round table seats two people comfortably. When you need extra space for your laptop, or you want to seat more people, simply open up the table’s ‘leaves’ to expand it in size. Designed as part of a renovation to a small 50 sq.m. (538 sq.ft.) apartment, the Drop Leaf Table was created for the homeowners who lived on their own, but wished for the ability to entertain a large group of guests during new years and special occasions. In its closed, round avatar, the table is perfect for two people. Ideally sized for a meal arrangement or just for teatime, the table easily fits the needs of just the owners. The table’s two wooden leaves allow it to expand either halfway (simply by lifting one flap) or fully. In its halfway setup, the table also comfortably accommodates a laptop and mouse, making it ideal to work on… while in its fully expanded format, it comfortably seats up to 6 guests at a time! The Drop Leaf Table is a winner of the Red Dot Best of the Best Design Award for the year 2021. The completely expanded table more than doubles its original size, allowing you to easily entertain as many as 6 guests at a time. The base of the Drop Leaf Table contains fold-out legs that pivot at the table’s center, acting as supports for the ‘leaves’ when you need them. When you’re done, the legs fold back in, and the leaf drops to the base, giving your table a lower partition of sorts. “A mixture of CNC technology with traditional timber and metal craft is combined to make the table, coming together as a deceivingly complex yet elegantly simple piece of furniture”, says tsai Design, an Australia-based design studio who won a Red Dot Design Award for their creation. Image Credits: Tess Kelly