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18 Dining Combinations Featuring the Sleek Pedestal Base
Becky HarrisApril 12, 2011
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
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Architect, furniture designer, friend of Florence Knoll and son of Eliel, Eero Saarinen was anything but a leg man. He designed his iconic Tulip table in 1956 in order to "clear up the slum of legs in the U.S. home." I suppose a typical table and chair set for four in a U.S. eat-in kitchen would have had about 20 legs, whereas if you splurged for the entire Saarinen Tulip set you'd have only had five legs total. Designers today, on the other hand, choose to pair the table with a wide range of chairs — many with four very attractive legs. Let's take a look.
Webber + Studio, Architects
Here is an example of a designer who is not so into chair legs; not only did this person opt for the entire Saarinen dining set, but also for pedestal barstools. They also went for a PH 5 pendant, which we just chatted about recently.
David Churchill - Architectural Photographer
Saarinen tables are produced by Knoll today. (Florence Knoll and Eero were thick as thieves back in the day.) They come with many top options and color options, including marble, granite, laminate and wood veneer. There are a range of sizes for the dining table and there is even an oval version.
By the way, I've been trying to identify these chairs all day — if you know who makes them, I beg you to educate me in the comments section!
W. David Seidel, AIA - Architect
Cherner armchairs are a great match for this white marble oval version of the table. These choices work wonderfully for this white room with wood floors.
User
I am 99 percent sure that these are Nakashima chairs, and I absolutely love the unexpected combination of these with the Tulip table.
I shouldn't play favorites, but this is one kitchen on Houzz I come back to over and over again. It's modern yet warm, rather neutral but enlivened by the yellow FL/Y pendant and the red chairs. The white Tulip table is a great centerpiece for the room's burst of color.
Here the designer made me do a double take; she's cleverly tucked one Tulip armchair into the mix. I admired this shot quite a few times before I noticed.
Texas Construction Company
This is another Saarinen and Saarinen match-up. He designed the elegant upholstered Executive chair before designing the Tulip table. (I mean, look at all those legs!) As soon as I round up enough images of this chair, I'll feature it in a future Modern Icons ideabook.
Speaking of topics for future Modern Icon ideabooks, here a white version of the table looks smashing with a set of aqua Eames Shell chairs.
User
Here's another Eames Shell with Eiffel bases paired with an oval Saarinen table. I don't think that Eero could have complained about the interesting structure of these legs.
Aviad Bar-Ness
Here the designer has opted for Eames Shell chairs with wooden legs. They stand out next to all of the white in this eat-in kitchen.
Fiorella Design, LLC
You don't need to spend a fortune on iconic chairs — these IKEA chairs hold their own next to the classic table. That's the beauty of its versatility (not to mention the strong design of the chairs).
Lauren Liess Interiors
Not convinced? Here it shines in a vintage modern setting, with farmhouse-style chairs sidling up to it.
SBaird Design
This group gives a strong salute to Mid-Century Modern, particularly Danish Modern styles.
Toc Toc Toc... Entrez!
Here the dining area goes for an all-white palette, gaining color only from tabletop accessories. The Tulip's partners include an FL/Y pendant and four Panton chairs.
John Lum Architecture, Inc. AIA
This photograph has opened my eyes to the color palette of white, lavender, and a warm and tawny brown. It's a beautiful combination, isn't it?
Cuppett Kilpatrick Architecture + Interior Design
Again, I'm not sure which chairs these are exactly, but I love that they are upholstered yet still sleek. The light fixture is called the Birdie chandelier and is by far the most whimsical choice in the room, balanced out nicely by the Saarinen table.
Side Note: Aren't those windows and doors to die for? Details like these that we often don't think about can make such a difference in the architecture. Oh, and speaking of details, I'm loving the way they styled with artichokes here – it adds really nice shapes and colors.
John Lum Architecture, Inc. AIA
More Panton S chairs abound. By the way, if anyone has any information on this pendant light, please educate me in the comments section. I'd love to know more about it.
Webber + Studio, Architects
Finally, I thought I'd bring the book full circle; this image is from the same room as the image at the top of this ideabook; I couldn't see in that image that the designer chose the veneer-topped tulip table. I love the warmth it adds to this wide-open and airy space.
By the way, we've been working REALLY hard to keep up with keywording and tagging photos, so for example, now when you search "Saarinen" or "Tulip" and choose "Photos" in the top right corner, quite a few images come up. If you haven't tried it in a while, please give our improved search function a whirl.
More Modern Icons:
The Womb Chair
Platner Tables
The Togo Series
