One of the more surreal sights in nature is the moment when an underwater creature emerges to poke its head above the surface of rippling water. Calming and exciting at the same time, it often feels like one of those “hold your breath” moments, even if seen through the lens of your television screen.
Unsurprisingly, many DIYers have made their own attempts to capture that moment through art, for better or for worse.
Derek Pearce makes glass tables that look like animals emerging from water.
Derek Pearce (a woodcarver, sculptor , and furniture designer) designs specialty tables that look like real underwater creatures poking their heads above water.
Capturing the bug-eyed expression of a spotted toad, his tables bring nature into your home in a classy, refined way. Just as much an art installation as it is functional furniture, Pearce’s work is a great example of how sophisticated “water tables” can look.
Lazy hippo submerged in water.
Blending “playful” with sophistication, Pearce also creates wood-carved water tables. Beautifully capturing the soft rolls and rough texture of a hippo’s skin, this lazy hippo would fit perfectly in a sitting room meant for lounging. (And I have to admit I sort of love it.)
A bronze man taking a bath in your living room.
Stepping closer toward “avant-garde” art sculpture , a final example of Pearce’s work shows how even weird and humorous designs can still be classy decor. Scrubbing the glass table with a filmy finish, Pearce’s bronze sculpture looks exactly like a tired man reclining in a sudsy bath.
A different table maker’s attempt at a submerged hippo.
Now that we’ve seen how well Pearce blends art and function together, it makes some DIYers’ water table attempts seem… a little less refined.
Attempting their own surfacing hippo design, this shiny hippopotamus definitely falls in more with the “weird but cute furniture” crowd.
DIY fail, or cute and quirky?
Fully settling into the weird furniture category, this is definitely an attempt at a water table, and the result is… interesting? Cute? magical? horrifying? Whatever it is, it’s certainly unique, and I’d imagine anyone who walked into that cafe would find themselves remembering the table if nothing else.
Would you put one in your home?
What do you think of water table designs, do you love them? Hate them? Could you imagine one sitting in your home? Let us know in the comments below! I have to admit I kind of want one, like right now…
