Designed by celebrated architect Eero Saarinen, Tulip tables and chairs form a floral-like pattern when viewed from above—here’s how the piece came to be
If you’ve ever stubbed your toe against a cumbersome table leg or found yourself awkwardly trying to fit all the dining chairs under a table, well, you’re not alone. Finnish-American architect and industrial designer Eero Saarinen faced the same dilemma too. In 1956, he designed a solution: The Saarinen collection of tables and chairs.
The collection, also known as the Pedestal collection or more famously as the Tulip table and chairs, impresses with its modern design and timeless silhouette. The Tulip table is not just admired by the public, it’s also a screen favourite, having appeared in films like Star Trek and the offices in TV hits like Grace and Frankie, Mad Men, and Supergirl.
See also: The Flos Floor Lamp That Appeared In 'Iron Man' and 'Crazy Stupid Love'
An icon of the modernist movement in design, the Tulip table is easily recognisable with its curved, pedestal base. With its sleek design, the slender stem-like structure is the key to offering more spacious legroom. It’s expertly connected to a heavy moulded cast aluminum circular base that keeps the table sturdy.
The tabletop, available in a round or oval form, offers an elegant and polished surface for both working and dining. Personalising the table is easy with the option to clad it in a range of luxurious marbles, veneers and laminates, all of which are finished with high-quality abrasion-resistant coatings.