You know that moment when you’re setting up for a dinner party and realize you have nowhere to put the wine bottle except awkwardly on the table or tucked under a chair? Miray Özlem Er just solved that problem in the most unexpectedly elegant way possible.
Meet the Placemat hightop table, a piece of furniture that makes you wonder why nobody thought of this sooner. At first glance, it looks like a sleek, minimalist high-top table with felt placemats secured by thin metal rails. Clean lines, transparent acrylic legs, simple construction. Pretty standard stuff for contemporary furniture design. But then you notice something curious hanging beneath the table surface. Those placemats? They keep going, draping down to create fabric pockets that perfectly cradle wine bottles.
Designer: Miray Özlem Er
It’s one of those designs that makes you pause and smile because it’s so ridiculously practical yet completely unexpected. The placemats serve double duty, marking your dining space while simultaneously creating storage that’s right there when you need it. No more getting up to grab the bottle from across the room. No more wine rings on your beautiful table surface. Just reach down, grab what you need, and keep the conversation flowing.
The engineering here is surprisingly sophisticated for something that looks so simple. The placemats are made from thick felt material that provides just enough structure to hold a bottle securely while maintaining that soft, draped aesthetic. Metal rails run along the table’s edge, keeping everything aligned and preventing the fabric from shifting during use. The transparent legs give the whole thing a floating quality, making what could have been a bulky piece feel light and airy.
What really gets me about this design is how it challenges our expectations about what furniture can do. We’re so used to tables being flat surfaces with maybe a shelf underneath if we’re lucky. But Miray looked at the entire vertical space and asked, “What if we used all of it?” The result is furniture that works harder without looking like it’s trying too hard.
The color options show real thoughtfulness too. The classic black version has that sophisticated, gallery-ready vibe. The sage green feels fresh and contemporary, perfect for spaces that embrace color without shouting about it. And the warm brown brings an organic, grounded feeling that would work beautifully in all kinds of interiors. Each colorway completely changes the personality of the piece, which means it can adapt to different aesthetic preferences while maintaining its core functionality.
There’s also something quietly luxurious about the whole concept. Think about high-end restaurant design or boutique hotel details where every element serves multiple purposes without announcing itself. This table has that same energy. It’s the kind of piece that sparks conversation not because it’s loud or flashy, but because it’s genuinely clever.
For small space dwellers, this design is particularly genius. Studio apartments and compact dining areas often require furniture that multitasks, but most storage solutions are pretty obvious about what they’re doing. This table stores things while looking like a sculptural object. The bottles become part of the design rather than clutter you’re trying to hide. The social aspect shouldn’t be overlooked either. When you’re hosting, having the wine right there creates a more relaxed, communal atmosphere. Guests can help themselves without navigating your kitchen or interrupting the flow of dinner. It’s the furniture equivalent of being a thoughtful host who anticipates needs before anyone has to ask.
Miray has created something that sits comfortably at the intersection of art, furniture, and problem-solving. It’s not trying to reinvent the table entirely, just reimagining what a table could be if we paid attention to the negative space around it. In a world of increasingly complex design solutions, there’s something refreshing about an idea this straightforward executed this well. Sometimes the best innovations aren’t about adding more features or technology. They’re about looking at everyday objects with fresh eyes and asking better questions. The Placemat hightop table does exactly that, turning a simple dining essential into an elegant storage solution that makes your space more functional and more beautiful at the same time.
The post This Elegant High-Top Table Hides Wine Bottles In Its Placemats first appeared on Yanko Design.