The Boca Side Table by Deniz Aktay is a metal side table that integrates book storage directly into the tabletop by pressing a rectangular section downward into the surface. Instead of adding a separate shelf, the design creates a recessed cavity between two layers of metal, sized to hold a single book inserted from the side. The spine remains visible at the edge of the circular top, while the rest of the book sits within the structure, allowing the table to function as both surface and storage simultaneously.
The top operates across two levels, with the recessed channel holding the book and the surrounding flat surface remaining fully usable for objects like a glass or phone. This folded geometry is formed from a single metal sheet rather than assembled components, making the storage feature a result of the shaping process itself. The table is finished in a terracotta tone paired with tubular steel legs bent into a continuous C-shaped base.
Image Credit: Deniz Aktay
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Integrated Surface Storage
- Enables everyday surfaces to double as concealed storage, encouraging compact multifunctional designs that reduce furniture footprint.
- Folded Single-sheet Fabrication
- Suggests a move toward shaping methods that form structure and function from one material layer, lowering part count and assembly complexity.
- Spine-forward Display Aesthetic
- Signals interest in designs that expose book spines as a visible graphic element, blending utility with curated visual identity in interiors.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Furniture Design
- Shows potential for product lines that prioritize hybrid pieces combining surface utility with integrated storage to address small-space living.
- Metal Fabrication
- Highlights opportunities for manufacturers to develop advanced bending and forming capabilities that create recessed features without additional components.
- Home Furnishings Retail
- Indicates demand for curated, multifunctional items that present storage as a design feature, altering merchandising toward compact-living solutions.
