London Design Festival 2015: London design studio Pinch has unveiled a coffee table made from plaster and resin composite material Jesmonite (+ slideshow).

The Nim table features gradually tapering sides that appear solid, but are constructed from a hollow cast piece of Jesmonite.

Described by the manufacturers as "a safe alternative to fibreglass and a lightweight alternative to cast concrete", the material is made by mixing gypsum plaster powder with acrylic resin.

Jesmonite has also been used by artist Hilda Hellström to create her The Erosional Remnant installation for London's Ace hotel and by product designer Ariane Prin in her debut homeware collection of rusty bowls.

A partially hidden base makes the table appear to hover above the floor, and the textured sides seem to take their cues from natural formations such as lava and stone.

"A lot of what we do is in wood, but we do have moments of sculptural elements coming into the range, like the Twig side table, or our banana fibre Anders shade," the company's founder Russell Pinch told Dezeen. "What we wanted was a coffee table that takes the sculptural elements of those, and does it in a different way."

Clay and resin were first used to form the master shape of the table, with resin used to create a smooth top and base, and clay sculpted with airguns, water and brushes to give the table's sides a rough, weathered appearance. Pieces of mica – ground-up marble – were also added to the Jesmonite to further its resemblance to natural stone.

Pinch worked with an artist who specialises in painting sets for films to decorate each limited-edition table.

The Nim table is on display at the Rochelle School in Shoreditch – alongside a collection of other Pinch furniture – as part of London Design Festival 2015, which runs until 27 September.

Also launching at this year's event is Michael Anastassiades' first pieces of furniture at SCP, and Tylko's Yves Behar-designed customisable table. Check Dezeen's guide for the must-see installations and exhibitions this year.