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    Saarinen Side Tables

    Eero Saarinen  1957

    How To Purchase

    Eero Saarinen vowed to address the “ugly, confusing, unrestful world” he observed underneath chairs and tables—the so-called "slum of legs." A five-year design investigation led him to the revolutionary Pedestal Collection, including four elegant side tables.

    Knoll Eero Saarinen Tulip Pedestal Chair history

    Product story

    With the Pedestal Collection, Eero Saarinen vowed to eliminate the "slum of legs" found under chairs and tables with four legs. He worked first with hundreds of drawings, which were followed by ¼ scale models. Since the compelling idea was to design chairs that looked good in a room, the model furniture was set up in a scaled model room the size of a doll house.

    Drawing on his early training as a sculptor, Saarinen refined his design through full scale models, endlessly modifying the shape with clay. “What interests me is when and where to use these structural plastic shapes. Probing even more deeply into different possibilities one finds many different shapes are equally logical—some ugly, some exciting, some earthbound, some soaring. The choices really become a sculptor’s choice.”

    Saarinen was assisted by Don Petitt, of Knoll’s Design Development Group, who introduced several ingenious methods of model making. Together with a Knoll design research team, they worked out the problems arising in production. Full scale models became furniture and, with family and friends acting as “guinea pigs,” the furniture was tested in the dining room and living room of the Saarinen house in Bloomfield Hills.

    Knoll Designer Eero Saarinen

    Eero Saarinen

    Born to world famous architect and Cranbrook Academy of Art Director Eliel Saarinen and textile artist Loja Saarinen, Eero Saarinen was surrounded by design his whole life. After meeting Florence Knoll at Cranbrook, Saarinen went on to design many of Knoll's most recognizable pieces, including the Tulip collection, the Womb chair, and the 70 Series of seating. In addition to these achievements, Saarinen became a leader of the second-generation modernists. 

    Learn more

    Additional Info

    Construction and Details
    • Tabletops:
      • Laminate: 1.06" thick satin smooth laminate; beveled edge
      • Marble: .75" thick; transparent polyester coating with polished or satin finish; beveled edge
      • Wood: 1.06" thick; veneered medium density fiberboard with cathedral grain pattern; solid wood beveled edge
      • Chrome: .5" thick steel top with chrome plating; beveled edge (not available on all sizes)
    • Top attaches to base with threaded rod
    • Tabletops available in a wide range of laminates, woods, marbles, granites and chrome
    • Base is heavy molded cast aluminum available with white, black or grey paint
    Sustainable Design and Environmental Certification
    • Learn more about Saarinen Side Tables product certifications and materials at Ecomedes.

     

    Dimensions

    • Side Table
        w d h
      16OTR Small Round 16.25" 16.25" 20"
      169TR Small Round, low level 20" 20" 13.75"
      163TR Small Round 20" 20" 20"
      161TO Small Oval 22.5" 15" 20"

       

    Coated Marble

    Arabescato

    Arabescato

    Calacatta

    Calacatta

    Carrara

    Carrara

    Grey

    Grey

    Grigio Marquina

    Grigio Marquina

    Espresso Marble

    Espresso Marble
    Verdi Alpi

    Verdi Alpi

    Portoro

    Portoro
    Nero Marquina

    Nero Marquina

    Satin Coated Marble

    Arabescato

    Arabescato

    Calacatta

    Calacatta

    Carrara

    Carrara

    Grey

    Grey

    Grigio Marquina

    Grigio Marquina

    Espresso Marble

    Espresso Marble
    Verdi Alpi

    Verdi Alpi

    Portoro

    Portoro
    Nero Marquina

    Nero Marquina

    Natural Marble

    Carrara

    Carrara

    Granite

    Black Andes Granite

    Black Andes Granite

    Wood

    Light Oak Veneer

    Light Oak Veneer
    Light Walnut Veneer

    Light Walnut Veneer
    Reff Dark Cherry

    Reff Dark Cherry

    Ebonized Walnut Veneer

    Ebonized Walnut Veneer
    Rosewood Veneer

    Rosewood Veneer

    Chrome

    Chrome, Polished

    Chrome, Polished

    Laminate

    White Laminate

    White Laminate
    Black Laminate

    Black Laminate

    Base Finish

    White

    White
    Black

    Black
    Grey

    Grey

    Environment

    Whitesweep

    Detail

    Configure Saarinen Side Tables

    The configurator below is for reference purposes only. All options, finishes and sizes may not be represented.
    For the complete scope, please refer to the KnollStudio price list.
    (20" table shown)


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    General Info

    Document

    Saarinen Tables Product Sheet
    Document

    Saarinen Collection
    Document

    KnollStudio Price List Vol 1
    Document

    Ancillary 4-Weeks or Less Program