Eero Saarinen Furniture – Tulip chairs and armchairs – Knoll tables

Eero Saarinen Furniture – Tulip chairs, armchairs, and Knoll tables
A major Finnish-American designer and architect of the 1950s and 1960s, Eero Saarinen is primarily known for his famous Tulip chairs and armchairs, produced by Knoll, available in fixed or swivel versions, as well as for his tables with central aluminum pedestals and marble, wood, or laminate tops.

Developed in the mid-1950s, the Pedestal collection, more commonly known as “Tulip,” is one of the most iconic series of American modernist design. Saarinen sought to eliminate what he described as the “clutter of legs” found under traditional tables and seating, by developing a unique central pedestal with fluid, sculptural lines.

Tulip chairs, swivel armchairs, and Saarinen tables are distinguished by their organic silhouette and their combination of industrial and refined materials. Molded aluminum bases coated with Rilsan contrast with veined white marble, wood, or laminate tops, creating an aesthetic that is both futuristic and functional, and has become emblematic of 1960s furniture.

Produced by Knoll International, these creations quickly achieved international success and became established in modernist kitchens and dining rooms, as well as in hotels, restaurants, reception areas, and architectural projects of the 1950s and 1960s. Their timeless design still allows these models to be easily integrated into contemporary or even very classic interiors today.

Close to the Cranbrook Academy of Art circle and son of architect Eliel Saarinen, Eero Saarinen developed a design approach based on formal experimentation and technical innovation. His work dialogues with that of other major designers produced by Knoll, such as Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia, or Mies van der Rohe, also represented in our selection of 20th-century modernist furniture.