Interlinking stone slabs form this collection of side tables by multi-disciplinary studio AMOO, which set out to create furniture that clients would chose over Ikea products (+ slideshow).

AMOO originally designed the Juanola(s) tables to be made from lacquered MDF, imitating stone, for the interior of a concept store in Barcelona.

When the client rejected the pieces in favour of using off-the-shelf tables from Swedish furniture giant Ikea, the designers were forced to rethink their approach.

"It made us think about the way in which we face new designs, so we could become more attractive than Ikea, or others, in every aspect," said Aureli Mora, who co-founded AMOO with Omar Ornaque.

The final collection is made of re-used marble and granite slabs, which form both the vertical and horizontal surfaces. These materials create a variety of colours and patterns across the tables.

"We needed weight in order that our idea could become a successful design; stone allowed us that," Mora told Dezeen.

"We needed stones with a huge range of colours and hues – and marble and granite are marvellous noble materials, and it is always a pleasure to work with them."

The range is named Juanola after the diamond-shaped Spanish liquorice pastilles, which the tabletops resemble in plan. When arranged together, they form geometric groupings.

Their geometric forms play tricks on the eye when negative spaces seem to complete three-dimensional forms.

"We knew the visual potential of the combination of more than one unit, and knew that the different finishes and stones would create different sensations," Mora said. "But you always get surprised when the work is done and in front of you for the first time!"

Marble has been used to create tables for centuries, but contemporary designers are still coming up with new ways to use the material.

Joe Doucet created a limited-edition collection of "snap fit" flat-pack marble tables for the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum last year, while Sweden's Note Design Studio collaborated with Denmark's Norm Architects to design a collection of tables with mixed-and-matched marble tops for Menu.

Photography is by Albert Gifreu.