Coffee Table by Alexander Girard

Alexander Girard  1948

Alexander Girard described himself as “a reasonable and sane functionalist, tempered by irrational frivolity.” The Coffee Table, introduced to the Knoll catalog as the Model 108 in 1948, reflects the playful spirit he injected into the often austere modern vocabulary. The table was an early Knoll Classic, and is prominently featured in one of the most iconic portraits of Florence Knoll and her dog, Cartree.

Girard’s furniture and, more famously, his textile designs defined a new kind of “opulent modernism.” Often drawing inspiration from traditional folk art, his pioneering and innovative approach to design helped usher in the colors, whimsy and amoebic shapes synonymous with 1960’s America.

After a major retrospective or Girard’s work at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in 2004, Knoll reintroduced the Coffee Table.
 

Widely considered one of the greatest colorists and textile designers of the 20th century, Alexander “Sandro” Girard took inspiration from traditional folk art and infused color, whimsy, and humor. He ingeniously mixed color and imagery to create exciting, fresh designs that explored and challenged the interaction of high and low art forms.

Before becoming the textiles director at Herman Miller, Girard designed the Model 108 table for Knoll, a distinctive sofa table introduced in 1948. Girard was knighted by Queen Margrethe of Denmark in 1966.

In 2004, Girard was the subject of a major retrospective at The Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum, confirming his place in the pantheon of great mid-century designers. Two years later Knoll reintroduced the Model 108 as part of the KnollStudio collection.