Shape Shifter

Staff -- Interior Design, 10/31/2008

Rarely do furnishings look so different from every angle that they will make you take a second—and even a third—look. The pieces from Skram Furniture, by founder-designer Jacob Marks, do just that. Witness the Ant Bea side table, which, from the front, appears to be a round top on an ordinary tripod base; see it from the side and the rear legs counterbalance a front pedestal. View it from above to discover that the apparently round top isn't round at all, but teardrop-shaped. The all-wood piece stands 18 inches high. Top it with the Vidalia vase, which features onion-like curves and a pinched top when spied from the side.At its center, two watertight cylindrical aluminum vases sprout up.

Similarly, Marks's Lineground collection of storage and bedroom furniture will keep users guessing with hidden details. The Side Table/Nightstand #3 also playfully makes use of planes and openings, combining them into an overall T shape. Meanwhile, the Four-Drawer Sideboard sports an irregular cross cut-out that can act as shelving; the opening, in turn, frames the four drawer compartments. Nine additional pieces round out this collection. 919-245-0045; skramfurniture.com. circle 564