Ghia × Arper

When we designed Ghia, the starting point was functional: a low table system that could work with most of Arper's seating collections — primarily contract, but increasingly residential — and act as a bridge between organic lounge pieces and those shaped by a more formal or industrial language. The system needed to allow mixing of heights, shapes, materials and colours with ease, adapting to the mood of the space rather than imposing one.

The answer was a family of tops that combine with different bases to adopt distinct characters. Solid yet soft, the sculptural central base reads as more iconic; the three-leg version offers a more delicate twist on a familiar archetype. Like little islands, the tables help organise a room — from a small, flexible accent beside a lounge chair to a more substantial presence at the centre, with the surrounding furniture arranged around it. The beauty of Ghia is that it offers many choices within a single coherent system.

The material palette was shaped as much by principle as by aesthetics. FSC-certified sandblasted oak in natural or black stain forms the primary material of the collection. At the time of design, global supply chains were under pressure, which reinforced our interest in local, sustainable resources. We arrived at Venetian terrazzo — one of the oldest recycling techniques in European craft, and one with its origins in the Veneto region where Arper is based.

For the lacquered finishes, we chose sage green and terracotta — colours that do in paint what wood and terrazzo do in material: carry an organic, haptic quality that sits naturally against the collection's soft yet geometric forms. Wood, terrazzo, lacquer: three very different surfaces, held together by the same underlying sensibility.

Extending Ghia to dining and meeting height felt like a natural step. We kept the soft, organic forms and the distinctive sculptural base, and introduced an oval top that moves easily between dining, meeting and office roles. Ghia 74 accommodates a wide range of uses while maintaining the formal coherence of the original collection across very different spatial contexts — from residential dining rooms to contemporary offices and hospitality settings.

The office versions integrate discreet electrical and cable management. Designed with sustainability as a structural consideration throughout, Ghia 74 is FSC-certified, produced with eco-friendly materials, and conceived for efficient assembly and reduced environmental impact across its lifecycle.