A NEW CHAPTER IN THE TABLE OF TRAVERTINE

The latest design to emerge from GamFratesi’s exploration of travertine stone, Pietra is a pair of side tables that balance monumental presence with delicacy and softness.

In the Epic Table, GamFratesi began their material journey into the design possibilities of travertine, examining and perfecting the formation of the stone slab. Then, in the curved and contoured legs of the Doric Table, they perfected the art of stone-carving. Now, their material odyssey has led to Pietra – a study in the aesthetic potential of the monolithic block.

‘With Pietra, we put materiality at the center of the project and started with the purest, most essential form that can be created in stone: the block. The simplicity of the shape and the scale of the surface emphasizes the natural beauty and textural depth of the travertine, whereas the rounded edges and corners bring a sculptural softness to an otherwise monumental form.’
– Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi, GamFratesi

As the third chapter in GamFratesi’s ongoing meditation on materiality, Pietra unfolds new aesthetic possibilities for travertine, its surfaces acting as generous canvases that allow the rich textures and colors of the stone to shine.

Named after the Italian word for stone in honor of both the material and its origin, Pietra is a celebration of the mesmerizing patterns found in the surface of the travertine – an artwork created over millions of years by the actions of the Earth itself.

The table is formed from six pieces of stone fixed together by hand, giving the impression of a single monomaterial block, while remaining deceptively lightweight and easily transportable. The imposing solidity of Pietra’s cuboid form is offset by the gentle contours of its edges and corners, which are hand-polished to a smooth curve, giving the table a distinctly sculptural look. Carefully cut, fitted, and finished to imbue the stone with a sense of softness, each edge is meticulously completed by hand, exemplifying the extraordinary level of craftsmanship that goes into the table.

‘Pietra continues an exploration of natural stone that GamFratesi and GUBI have been pursuing together since the Epic Table. Cleverly designed, with its signature soft contours, Pietra presents the full potential of travertine as a design material, harnessed to create a piece of furniture with a personality and character all of its own.’
– Marie Kristine Schmidt, Chief Brand Officer, GUBI

Around the upper edges, a raised lip turns the tabletop into a useful tray-like surface, ideal for displaying objects or securely placing cups and glasses. This makes Pietra well suited to use as a bedside table, as a practical companion to a lounge chair in a living room, or – in the case of the larger of the two variants – alongside a sofa or at the end of a bed.

Both versions, small and large, are crafted entirely from travertine. The Pietra Side Tables are supplied in Neutral White, which is characterized by veins of white and gray, and Lively Sepia, which includes a rich medley of shades, including browns, tans, and grays. As a natural material, shaped by geology and the actions of the living Earth, every piece of travertine displays a unique pattern of color and veining – so no two Pietra Side Tables are ever the same.