Named with the Japanese word for new taste, Umami is a contemporary dining table by the Swedish designer Sofia Almqvist, whose Cork Bicycle Saddle was previously featured on GBlog. “Umami” typically refers to the fifth taste, savory, but Almqvist uses this word to describe an innovative way of sharing a meal. Her table is small so that there’s no room for laptops or extra clutter, and its ash wood surface is pebbled in order to encourage people to play with their food.

The uneven tabletop even requires users to eat from special tableware: Almqvist’s line of hand-blown glass bowls and ceramic plates. Small and inviting, the servingware makes it so that one can’t pile servings onto a single plate. Instead, one has to share, eating family-style by trying everyone’s food. The design makes dinner more social, reclaiming the family dinner ideal in a fresh, whimsical way. It’s no surprised this unique piece of furniture was nominated for and displayed in the Ung Svensk Form exhibit at the Stockholm Furniture Fair.

Photography: Petter Brandt

via Gessato