The traditional way to make room for two more dinner guests involves a table leaf, a dark closet and somebody shouting, “Behind the wrapping paper!” Bauhausly’s QUAD0 takes about 20 seconds and requires considerably less knowledge of where your family hides things. Its top changes from a circle for six into a square for eight, right there on the same chunky column.
Look at the round table before anyone touches it. The first clue is in the grain. Instead of running straight across the full width, it changes direction where the four sections meet. On the patterned version it looks like someone cut an enormous wooden pie, took an unreasonable amount of care lining up the slices, and then invited you to eat spaghetti on it.
Where the corners come from
Each quarter moves independently. One person unfolds and turns the sections into position; magnets and a locking mechanism hold the finished arrangement together. There is no separate plank to bring out for company. Everything that makes a square is already there while you’re eating breakfast at a circle. The best seat for watching the trick might actually be the one a few steps away.
The transformation makes more sense if you think about what a conventional extension table does. Pull the ends apart, fill the middle, and the last person at the far end gets a little farther from the gravy. Here, the distance across the middle stays the same. It’s the space out toward the four corners that changes, giving you a new place to put an elbow, a plate, or the excellent bread somebody remembered to bring.
On the 140-centimeter model, the circle has a radius of 70 centimeters. In square mode, a corner sits about 99 centimeters from the center. That’s nearly a foot of extra reach on the diagonal, despite the table still measuring 140 centimeters straight across. If the round version only just clears the sideboard, break out the tape measure before promising anybody a seat in that corner.
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Six for supper, eight for cards
A round table suits the kind of dinner where everyone wants to hear the same story. Nobody gets stranded at a head seat and the person next to you doesn’t have to lean across a sharp corner to pass the salad. The square makes a different offer: four straight runs of edge, with room for two diners along each side. You can also line up opposing teams for cards without negotiating which slice of a circle belongs to whom.
Before you try either arrangement in your dining room, a little rehearsal will tell you more than an overhead floor plan:
- Mark a 140-centimeter square on the floor with removable tape. Walk past its corners on the route you normally take from the kitchen.
- Set two of your own chairs beside one edge. Wide arms can eat up the room you thought belonged to the eighth guest.
- Pull a chair out as if you were getting up during dinner. A chair that fits neatly under the top may still block a doorway when occupied.
- Find somewhere to put the centerpiece and glasses before changing shapes. Rotating quarters make a poor stage for a full pitcher of lemonade.
| 140 cm model | Round setup | Square setup |
|---|---|---|
| Width across center | 140 cm in every direction | 140 cm from side to opposite side |
| Top area, approximately | 1.54 square meters | 1.96 square meters |
| Seating, per Bauhausly | Six around the curve | Up to eight along the edges |
That difference in area is about 27 percent. For a puzzle, that means more room to sort blue sky pieces into increasingly desperate shades of blue. For dinner, it means two extra place settings take up much of the newly available space. The square buys surface area, not longer arms. Put the dishes that make repeat trips near an edge and let the middle handle the flowers.
The part that stays put
There’s a single cylindrical support beneath the top. A conventional table leg can turn a perfectly good place setting into a dinner-long argument with your knee. This base leaves the outer edge open, which is especially handy when you’re moving chairs between the two arrangements. The column still occupies the middle, of course. People who like to stretch their legs all the way out may eventually meet somebody else’s shoe.
The 140-centimeter version stands 75 centimeters high and weighs 116 kilograms, or roughly 256 pounds. Changing its shape and changing its address are two very different propositions. Bauhausly describes assembly as eight screws and estimates about 15 minutes. Getting the two boxes from the front door to the dining room deserves a plan of its own. Measure the turn at the stairs, too; that’s a lousy spot to discover a talent for geometry.
The finish changes how much of the mechanism you notice. Black oak makes the quarter seams fairly quiet until light catches the grain. Natural oak puts a lighter wood surface under clear lacquer. In the more elaborate patterned top, the meeting lines become part of the decoration. If you like the disappearing act more than the big reveal, look at the black version from across the room before choosing based on a close-up.
Bauhausly describes the oak surface as veneer. That matters more at cleanup time than the impressive weight might suggest. The maker recommends a soft damp cloth, advises against abrasive cleaners and says there’s no need to oil the finish. Skip the heroic scrubbing routine. A table that performs its own little floor show has earned the right to be wiped down like an ordinary piece of furniture.
The QUAD0 at a glance
- The 140 cm QUAD0 changes between a six-seat circle and an eight-seat square.
- Four independently moving quarters stay with the table in both configurations.
- Bauhausly puts the changeover at about 20 seconds for one person.
- The pedestal and dining height stay put; allow extra clearance at the square corners.
- Black oak, natural oak and patterned finishes give the same basic idea very different looks.
Bauhausly lists the collection from €1,636, with pricing dependent on size and finish. Check the specific version before ordering: the dimensions, weight and seating figures above describe the 140 cm model. Count your chairs while you’re at it. The table supplies its own corners, but the last two guests would probably prefer something better than the piano bench.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Seats two more without a loose extension leaf. | Square corners need more clearance along the diagonals. |
| One person can rearrange the top. | Place settings need to come off before the sections move. |
| Center column keeps legs out of the seating perimeter. | The 116 kg table takes planning to move. |
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This Round-to-Square Dining Table Turns Four Quarters to Seat Eight
At a glance
Product snapshot
- Listed price
- From €1,636Prices and availability can change. Check the seller for current details.
- Where to find it
- Bauhausly
- Category
- Furniture Design
