Large White Oval Dining Table by Eero Saarinen, ca 1960s

Eero Saarinen’s tulip table and chairs were designed by the award winning architect and industrial designer in 1955 for the Knoll furniture company of New York City.  These pieces, considered “space age” at the time  because of their futuristic curves and artificial materials – the top shell is molded fiberglass with a reinforced, plastic bonded finish and the base is cast aluminum with a rilsan-coated finish to match the upper shell fiberglass,  making the whole unit appear as if it were one single unit –  are even today deemed classics of modern industrial design.