I was in a quaint cabin-like living room—wood paneling, warmish lighting, that funky smell of vintage books and furniture—and I see this odd little table. Round top. Three skinny legs. A single vertical “handle” sticking up like a bird stretching its neck.
It’s the Franco Albini Cicognino side table designed in 1954. And it sparked a mild obsession in me that has lasted ever since.
Cicognino means “little stork” in Italian. The tall, angled handle is the neck. Or the beak. Either way, it looks like a bird in a mid step. And that design detail was intentional. Albini designed the handle so the table could be picked up and moved with one hand. As functional as it is fun.
That detail is why it stuck with me. This isn’t just an artsy flourish. It is a piece of furniture that is meant to be used.