What happens when you ask a group of Seattle interior designers to create a table for charity and give them free reign to pick any source of inspiration they can imagine? You end up with a beautiful table inspired by the popular fizzy water brand, La Croix.

Inspiration

Their love of La Croix was obvious. One could easily see the large deliveries of the bubbly beverage stacking up at each desk. It seemed only logical to pay homage to the brand a la mode. Inspiration at hand, they began their exploration. What was at the essence, they wondered? “It was on-trend, colorful, fresh and effervescent,” explained Carrie Hinshaw, the project’s lead designer, “and most of all the branding evoked movement.” Ultimately, materiality was driven by the concept of “Fluidity and Luster.”

Fluidity and Luster inspiration board

Construction

They had some ideas about how to create their top using colored epoxy resin. However, as most projects go, they needed to VE and ultimately agreed to use a flow-painting method with acrylic paint and a top coat of resin for strength and shine.

The table top design was executed by mixing a pouring medium with acrylic paint to delude the consistency of the paint and make it more fluid. The color palate evolved from the base finish, a subtle pink, and the color most associated with water, blue. They used white as a base color to keep it fresh, and added liquid gold leaf for a pop of texture and luster. The team then started experimenting with different methods of pouring the paint, using mini wood samples, all of which transformed into works of art on their own.

Several color concepts were tested during the production process

They decided they liked the look achieved by pouring each color individually which “gave us a more controlled distribution of color and allowed each team member to be part of the process,” said Carrie.

They mixed and poured a lot of paint.

Aside from contributing to a big mess, it insured that they would have enough paint to be able to manipulate the top so that all the colors of paint would flow together in interesting ways. They further achieved the feeling of fluidity by allowing the paint to flow over and cover the table edge. This also helped to give the MDF substrate the appearance of a through-body stone.

Rachael and Carrie pour the resin

The final step in the design process was to enhance the table’s luster. This process took several days, challenging the team to learn new artistic techniques that included resin pouring. “The benefits of incorporating resin were two-fold,” explained design team member, Rachael Bauer, “it will help protect the table long term, and it was also the final step in bringing the ‘Fluidity and Luster’ concept to life.”

The Result

One thing is for sure, this table will be admired by any true La Croix fan. The end result is a playful and sophisticated design that successfully tells the story of ‘Fluidity and Luster.’ The dynamic interaction of bright, effervescent colors gives a first impression of fun. It is playful, but it also possess the elegance of a natural stone, having similar organic patterning as the veining seen in marble. This custom table will be welcomed into its new home as a fun conversation piece that will brighten up the room with its shine and luster.

Completed Fluidity and Luster table