Designed by Joseph D’Urso, 1980
In 1980, renowned minimalist and interior designer Joseph D’Urso found himself in need of something that didn’t yet exist: a large-scale, low-profile coffee table that could move easily within a spacious New York City loft. The furniture available on the market felt too small, too static. So, he did what great designers do—he designed his own.
What began as a one-off solution quickly drew attention. The table’s scale, functionality, and striking simplicity caught the eye of Knoll’s design director, who invited D’Urso to bring the piece into the brand’s portfolio. Thus was born the D’Urso Occasional Table—a modern classic that balances utility with quiet elegance.
At first glance, the D’Urso Occasional Table feels like functional architecture. Its strong geometric form is softened by subtle, thoughtful details: a two-tier structure that creates room for both display and storage; concealed swivel casters that allow the table to glide effortlessly across the floor; and finishes that reflect the space around it, helping the piece blend into its environment rather than dominate it.
This sense of lightness—both visual and physical—is key to its appeal. “Because the items below are still visible, they’re celebrated but not in the way,” D’Urso once explained, referring to the open lower shelf that acts as a secondary surface. It’s a perfect example of his philosophy: to design with intention, where every element serves a purpose.
The table is constructed from cut and bent sheet steel, with a wood particleboard panel forming the base. Its top surface is glass—offered in black, transparent plate glass, or transparent wired glass—resting on a frame available in Ultra Black, Crimson, or stainless steel. The result is a piece that is at once robust and refined.
Today, the D’Urso Occasional Table is available in three sizes, suitable as a side table or coffee table, and continues to embody the spirit of high-tech design—where industrial materials and minimalist aesthetics come together in perfect balance.
DIMENSIONS
- Small: 56 cm W × 56 cm D × 37 cm H
- Medium: 68 cm W × 68 cm D × 41 cm H
- Large: 120 cm W × 120 cm D × 37 cm H
About the designer.
Joseph D’Urso, a pioneer of the influential high-tech design movement of the 1970s and 1980s, became interested in minimalism early on in his career. In 1961, he studied design at Pratt Institute, then went on to the Royal College of Art in London and Manchester College of Art. Once back in New York, D’Urso perfected the pared-down aesthetic of loft-style living while designing interiors and furniture for private clients—like a steel-and-mahogany rolling table for artist Jack Ceglic and showrooms for Calvin Klein.
In 1980, D’Urso created a debut collection of rolling tables and lounge seating in collaboration with Knoll. It epitomized his innovative pursuit of new materials and streamlined forms. Very different to what dominated the market then, one of his designs explored the idea of a large-scale coffee table. It answered to a novel need, “an abstract effort to solve a function,” he says—that of a SoHo loft’s open-plan interior, where the possibility for reconfiguration was key.
The polished stainless-steel structures were a reflection of their time, D’ Urso remarks—pieces that “celebrate things made by machine, made very precisely and anonymously and almost without the human touch.”
In addition to their striking industrial engineering, the objects D’Urso has created throughout his life (including a second collection for Knoll in 2008) also grab the attention with their gleaming textures. “Everything has more than one function,” he says, “a functional thing can also be a stimulus to the eye.”
