Interactive Occasional Furniture

Part art installation, part children's science museum exhibit (remember the Van de Graaff static electricity inducing spheres?), the interactive Ripple LED table senses movements over its surface and the light patterns change accordingly. The table cames in a selection of sizes and lighting colors. The sleek curves of the table make it a nice piece even when it's not illuminated.

Can pool tables be modern?

Just the idea of a pool table brings to my mind a smoky bar with low-hanging, green-shaded lamps and a solid wood-and-slate possibly coil-operated behemoth. Not very modern, is it? Even large, recently-built billiards establishments can't get far away from the stereotype, and most homes that have a bonus room packed with billiard and air-hockey equipment likely don't have much more that the builder's standard overhead fixtures.

There are, however, some more contemporary options for those who take their aesthetics as seriously as their carom shots. Brunswick's Manhattan table ($15,750) has a slick stainless steel base and a slate top. If you look around with a creative eye, you'll find other modernist selections, but one of the most dramatic is the Olhausen Waterfall ($8600). The curvaceous maple-finished table is more than just a gaming surface. Paired with a contemporary pendant fixture, the modern statement will be unmistakable.

BodyMod Mod

Christopher Puzio, a furniture designer and architect in San Diego, has the ultimate statement of taste: the Eames chair tattoo replaces the usual mom-heart expression of fondness. His own designs are lean and crisp, integrating metal and organic materials.