Function Follows Form: A Conversation with Kajsa Melchior on the Duna Coffee Table
Lifestyle | Design Dialogues
Function Follows Form: A Conversation with Kajsa Melchior on the Duna Coffee Table
May 13, 2025
By: Paula Holtheuer and Jason Khoo
With contemporary design trending towards clean lines and minimalist forms, few pieces capture the imagination quite like Kajsa Melchior's Duna Coffee Table. With its undulating aluminium base and reflective, tinted glass top, the table’s expressive tension between structure and fluidity stands as a testament to Kajsa's approach to materiality and form. We sat down with the Swedish designer to explore the creative journey behind this remarkable piece and discover how her background in both science and architecture influences her distinctive design philosophy.
[Photos in this article were taken by Paula Holtheuer; images of earlier iterations of the Duna Coffee Table were provided by Kajsa Melchior and her studio team.]
You have had an interesting path to design. Can you tell us about your journey and how it shaped your approach to (furniture) design?
I have always been curious, drawn equally to the sciences and the arts. In upper secondary school, chemistry was my favorite subject, and for a long time, I imagined myself studying medicine. But alongside that academic path, there was always another part of me: the one constantly creating, experimenting, and building things. As a teenager, I made all my clothes, fascinated by the way form and function could come together through something as simple and accessible as fabric.
It was not until after some time travelling that I was encouraged by friends and family to apply to art school. I did not see it as a "real" career at first; I applied just for fun. But once I started, I knew I had found something essential. From there, I completed my bachelor’s degree in Gothenburg and London. I loved the freedom and exploration of those years, though I sometimes questioned whether it was serious enough. That uncertainty eventually led me to architecture, a field that, for me, represented the ideal mix of structure and creativity.
Later, I joined the studio of Gert Wingårdh, one of Sweden's most renowned architects. Working there for four years gave me a solid foundation, and I learned alot. After a while I started to feel some disconnection as I mostly was designing by computer and I started to miss the hands-on, physical relationship with materials, and form.
So, in 2017, I began my master's at Konstfack in Stockholm, diving into interior architecture and furniture design. It was there that I reconnected with sculpture and allowed myself to explore scale and form through instinct and the body, often working with sand and other tactile and responsive materials.
Today, I work in the space where art and architecture meet. I am deeply interested in how form feels, not just how it looks or functions on paper. My process is intuitive, physical, and often begins with materials rather than drawings. I believe design is as much about emotion and presence as it is about logic and planning. For me, it is not just about thinking with the mind, but with the whole body. And it is in that balance, between structure and spontaneity, concept and craft, that I feel most at home as a designer.
The Duna Coffee Table beautifully captures sand's dual nature between solid and liquid. What sparked this connection for you?
The Duna Coffee Table did not come from a single landscape or moment of inspiration, but rather emerged during an interior project where I was working exclusively with Scandinavian designs. I struggled to find a coffee table that complemented the rest of the pieces, which were all clean, straight, and pure in their materiality. I needed something that felt out of control and/ or truly dynamic to break that uniformity.
Given my ongoing work with sand, I began to think about its unique qualities. Sand is a natural material, present everywhere in the world. In some places, it is considered precious; in others, it is seen as dirt or just an overlooked, mundane material.
Usually, when I work with sand, I focus on highlighting the material’s inherent aesthetic qualities. But in this case, I wanted to explore the material’s dual nature: the tension between its solid and liquid properties. Instead of emphasising its solid form, I decided to flip the usual approach. I let go of trying to shape the material in the traditional sense and allowed its conceptual properties to guide me. I worked without sketches, simply following the flow of my body, letting instinct and movement shape the table.
Can you walk us through how this piece evolved from its early form to the aluminium and glass version we see today?
I worked intuitively, letting the form evolve naturally according to my intentions. The process was direct: I had a rough size in mind and began by drawing the initial form on the studio floor. From there, I built it up layer by layer, using metal nets for reinforcement and Acrystal-coated glass fiber.
Once the structure was set, I applied the final layers by hand, paying close attention to texture. The table took shape step by step. I even decided to lacquer it in Signal Red because it added a bold, energetic touch to the space, just the right amount of attitude for that specific project.
Later, when the Duna Table transitioned from being a handmade sculpture to a product for production, there were adjustments to be made. The team at Origin Made helped adjust the design to make it more accessible and commercial, suggesting aluminium as a material for sustainability and to achieve a more minimal aesthetic. We also resized it; originally, the table was huge, measuring 220 x 170cm, but the new version at 110 x 90cm made it more practical for everyday use. I am incredibly happy with the final outcome; it really became a great version of the original piece and downsizing it was a good thing to do, not only to make it more manageable but also to make it speak better with surrounding objects as its irregular form became even more prominent.
How does the Duna Table reflect your broader design philosophy?
This piece is especially significant for me because it marks the first visible manifestation of a process I have been developing around the concept of "thinking hands". For a while now, I have been reflecting on the distinction between the "thinking body" and the "thinking hands". To me, an artist cannot rely solely on a sharp mind; she must also be attuned to the intelligence of her body and hands.
In many aspects of life, it seems like the mind's "smartness" is prioritised over the body's intelligence. But in the realms of art, design, and craft, this idea is challenged. In today's world, where so much is done online and people can achieve so much without even leaving their homes, I find the physical, tactile side of life even more crucial.
The Duna Coffee Table represents a method I have been practicing extensively. It is freer than previous approaches, and that freedom brings a level of uncertainty. If the method is not fully refined yet, the results cannot be either. But that is part of the process I love. I am sure this approach will mature and solidify in time.
What types of interiors do you envision the Duna Coffee Table complementing particularly well?
The first version of the Duna Coffee Table was designed for a large office lounge. However, with the new resized version, it fits beautifully in a private home or even a retail gallery. The materials lend themselves well to a modern aesthetic, perhaps even in spaces with Scandinavian or Asian/ Japanese influences. It pairs nicely with clean lines and natural materials.
That said, I believe that it can be a striking addition to almost any living room. A bold form in a subtle material can make a statement in any interior. It is the kind of piece that adds personality and presence, without overwhelming the space. Whether you are in a minimalistic setting or a more eclectic one, the Duna Table can stand out as a unique, thoughtful detail without “screaming” about its presence.
What do you hope people experience when they interact with the Duna Coffee Table in their daily lives?
I always love hearing people's thoughts on my work, and I find it fascinating how their observations often differ from my own. I do not want anyone to feel compelled to experience my furniture in the same way I do because, at the end of the day, art and design are deeply personal experiences.
When I interact with a piece, I am always mindful of how the perception of the form shifts depending on the angle. The form itself is shaped by movement, and I think that aspect is something that is really captured in the final piece. My goal is always to create spaces and objects that encourage interaction and movement. With the Duna Coffee Table, I believe it achieves this by appearing differently depending on where you are standing, creating a dynamic experience for anyone who engages with it.
Thank you for sharing your design journey and your process with us. Hearing from the designer directly really helps imbue a deeper sense of appreciation and connection with the product. To round off our interview, we want to go back to understanding what drives you as a designer. When you are not designing furniture, what fuels your imagination?
My work as an architect plays a huge role in fueling my creativity. The connection between space and object is central to my understanding of beauty, and it is often in my interior projects that I design my furniture pieces. When I need specific objects or furniture, I always prefer to design them myself rather than searching for existing ones.
Outside of design, I also love reading and watching documentaries on YouTube, especially those with scientific or philosophical content. They really ignite my creativity and give me new ways to think about the world. For me, the joy comes in trying to understand something, reaching a point where I am satisfied halfway, and then using that knowledge to design my own reality.
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