Slim Special

To celebrate Arco’s 120th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of the Slim Table, Arco is launching a special edition of this iconic piece designed by Bertjan Pot. As with previous anniversaries, the celebrations were the occasion to create something unique: the Slim Table in three unique and surprising colour combinations.

In collaboration with Arco, Bertjan Pot experimented with colour wax and furniture linoleum, both made from linseed oil. The result is three original and surprising colour combinations that give the otherwise minimalist Slim Table a distinctive and striking new look.

'The most sustainable furniture is furniture you don't throw away, but use for a lifetime and then perhaps pass on to the next generation.'

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Slim Table, Elsbeth Grievink sat down with Bertjan Pot for an in-depth interview to discuss the power of the Slim Table design, its evolutions and innovations over the years, and the special edition he designed to celebrate this anniversary.

The Slim Table celebrates its birthday – and shows its true colours

It seems like yesterday, but it’s already 20 years ago that Bertjan Pot designed the Slim Table, one of the most important tables in the Arco collection. We spoke to the designer about the power of his design, and the special edition he has created to celebrate this anniversary.

What do you see when you look at the Slim Table today?
Bertjan Pot: 'I still think it’s a good table. It’s so minimal that you could easily walk past it. But when you stop and look at it, you see something special. You think: how can this table be made of wood? This is exactly what I had in mind 20 years ago, when Arco invited me and 11 other designers to create a gift for the future for their 100th anniversary: ​​I wanted to do something impossible.'

How did you come up with the Slim Table?
'I saw the minimalist, modern world of Arco. I soon discovered that Arco seems to revolve around wood, but that a lot of steel is used to strengthen the furniture. It gave me the idea of making a table with a steel frame and a wooden skin. And what if I made the table really thin? The wooden cladding would make it look impossible. My table was presented in an exhibition, together with the pieces by the eleven designers. People were surprised – how can a table that looks so fragile be so strong!'

So, is this a typical Bertjan Pot design?
'Someone once called my work “a bit naughty”. They understood where the fun of design lies for me. I like it when there’s some tension, and that’s why I consciously look for the limits. You can also see that in my Crafty Lights. Where you start to wonder if it’s still design, and if it still obeys the rules – that’s what I find interesting. The Slim Table hides the steel under a layer of wood veneer, which goes against everything I learned at the Design Academy Eindhoven about the honest use of materials. But I did it anyway.'

And Arco liked the idea.
'Arco’s Wim van Ast was immediately fascinated by the design. He said: “I really like your table, but it has to be flatpack (the legs had to be detachable, ed.), and I think it could be thinner.” He was right. My first version was 31 millimetres thick; six months later, we had a 28-millimetre-thick table with detachable legs.'

Had the design changed over the years?
'Not on the outside, but on the inside, it has. Initially, aluminium was mainly used for the frame, but now the table is mainly made of steel. Arco is constantly looking at how to make production more efficient and sustainable.'

So how sustainable is the Slim Table?
'The most sustainable furniture is furniture that you don’t throw away but use for a lifetime and then perhaps pass on to the next generation. The Slim Table is such a piece of furniture; in all its simplicity, it never gets boring. Anyone who gets rid of their Slim Table will quickly find a new home for it on Marktplaats (Dutch online marketplace, ed.). This table retains its value.'

After 20 years, the Slim Table is still the collection’s bestseller. What's the secret of its success?
'I think it’s because so little has been designed. The shape came from the possibilities of the materials that we could use to make a very thin table. All the design choices that were made were technical. The fact that the table looks fragile but is not remains fascinating. That is what makes it such a strong, timeless piece of furniture.'

For the 20th anniversary of the Slim Table, you designed a special edition. How did you go about it?
'As with previous anniversaries, we used the occasion to try out something special. Arco was researching the possibilities of colour wax from linseed oil, which I found very interesting. Not only because the pigments in linseed oil wax are beautiful, but also because Arco has been producing the Slim Table with a top layer of linoleum, which is also made from linseed oil. It seemed like a nice combination. The challenge was to come up with a number of colour combinations. I like to combine colours that enhance each other. Soft next to bright colours, rich tones next to muted ones. I came up with three variations: a dark-green top with yellow legs, a bright blue top with green legs and a light grey top with red legs.'

As a designer, what's it like to work with Arco?
'You can tell that Arco is a family business in everything they do. They are true to themselves, in all the choices they make. With every decision they take, they ask themselves: is this right for us? They have no shareholders or investors, which means they are forced to make the most commercial decisions. Because they have a reputation to uphold, quality and creativity always come first. This is an ideal situation for a designer. The Slim Table, both the original and the anniversary edition, is the result.'

Interview by Elsbeth Grievink
with Bertjan Pot.
September, 2024.

Slim Special

The Slim Special edition is available in three colour combinations and two sizes.

- Dark green top, with yellow legs.
- Deep blue top, with green legs.
- Light grey top, with red legs

Slim Special 240 x 90 x 75 cm at € 5156,- excl. VAT
Slim Special 280 x 90 x 75 cm at € 5795,- excl. VAT
EU public prices in Euro, excluding VAT

Contact us for more information voor meer informatie.