Percival Lafer Brutalist Parquet Low Profile Brazilian Modern Side Tables

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A pair of exceptional Brazilian Modern side tables by Percival Lafer, one of Brazil's most influential post war furniture designers. … Read more A pair of exceptional Brazilian Modern side tables by Percival Lafer, one of Brazil's most influential post war furniture designers. Trained as an architect at São Paulo's Universidade Mackenzie, Lafer took over his family's furniture workshop in 1961 and reoriented it toward a distinctly Brazilian modernist idiom, one built on sculptural form, exposed joinery, and the tropical hardwoods native to the region. His work, exported globally through the 1960s and 70s, remains a benchmark of the Brazilian Modern movement alongside contemporaries such as Sergio Rodrigues and Jorge Zalszupin, and was the subject of a career retrospective at São Paulo Design Weekend.

This pair exemplifies the brutalist parquet technique for which Lafer's case pieces are most sought after. Blocks of mixed tropical hardwood, each with its own grain and tonal variation, are set in an irregular, staggered relief across the surface, producing a richly textured, almost topographic composition. Deep black cherry-toned rosewood frames the perimeter on each side, its saturated color and dense grain providing a striking contrast to the lighter parquet field. A glass panel rests within the banding to create a level, functional surface while preserving the sculptural presence of the wood beneath. A Percival Lafer label is present on each table, confirming manufacture by the Lafer workshop in Brazil.

Low-slung and architectural, the pair works equally well flanking a sofa or paired together as a coffee table, a versatility characteristic of Lafer's design thinking. The rosewood banding has been sanded and refinished in a new stain and lacquer, with only minor imperfections remaining, as pictured. A small number of parquet blocks show old discoloration consistent with prior moisture exposure, and several blocks were replaced and hand-colored to match during restoration, also pictured; one block near the top edge has a slight warp. The glass tops show scattered surface scratching along with a few small divots that appear to be an artifact of the original factory glass. Minor repairs are present on the interior of the table legs, not visible without close inspection.

We also have black leather recliners by Percival Lafer, sold separately. Inquire in interested in the recliners.

Dimensions (each): 13.5" H x 30 3/4" D x 30 1/8" W (34.3 cm H x 78.1 cm D x 76.5 cm W) See less