Appetizers in the corner pocket

It’s an age-old dilemma: You want a place to entertain guests without having to sacrifice space for everyday leisure activities.

Today, a new solution is as close as your nearest pocket — the side pocket of a pool table that is.

Aramith, a leading manufacturer of billiard balls worldwide, has created the fusion table, a unique combination of dining table and pool table.

Launched in early summer in North America, the table was showcased during the recent home-furnishings trade show at World Market Center Las Vegas.

Scott Sullens, chief sales and marketing officer for the company’s North American division, said the table is truly designed for entertaining. Whether dining, “It seats 10 comfortably,” or playing billiards, the table can serve the multiple needs of anyone — from the bachelor to the family.

It’s for this reason that Aramith’s fusion tables are ideal for second or vacation homes, Sullens said.

“It’s ideal for your house at the lake. Now you have an answer for what to do if it rains,” he said.

The key to the successful combination is Aramith’s patent-pending, dual height, easy lift mechanism, Sullens said. With minimal effort, the table can be raised or lowered 3 inches to standard dining or billiards heights — even though it weighs 500 pounds and features a core single piece of slate for the playing surface.

The optional mechanism automatically locks into place and levels itself.

Helping to make the table transition from billiards to dining are patent-pending invisible stretch pockets with metal inserts covers. A plastic liner also is available to help protect the billiard cloth in case of spills.

When it comes time to dine, the billiards balls and cue sticks are stored on top of the table, under the dining top. The table itself has a sleek European design.

In addition to offering dual dining-billiards functions, the tables can be outfitted with a custom, reversible game cloth for playing roulette, craps, poker or blackjack; the blank side is good for playing dominos or any board game, Sullens said. The cloth comes with a 300-piece poker chip set with five dice and two decks of cards and attaches to the reverse side of the dining table through special routed adapters.

The tables offer a choice of 12 billiard cloths and are offered with powder-coated, stainless steel or wood frames.

Seating for the dining use is either by matching benches or stools, which are available with a light cream or dark brown microfiber leather top.

The tables’ base price is $5,999 and they are now being shipped throughout North America.

Sullens said Aramith used its knowledge of the industry when designing the table. The Belgium-based firm has been manufacturing billiards balls for more than 50 years. In addition, the parent company manufactures billiards accessories as well as bowling balls, trackballs and balls for casino roulette tables.

For more information, visit www.fusiontables.com or call 866-348-2229.