Manufacturer: Knoll | Designer: Eero Saarinen, 1957
The Tulip Coffee Table
Eero Saarinen believed that “confusion comes from trying to amalgamate several conflicting ideas.” In his furniture, as in his architecture, he sought the essential idea and represented it with clarity and strength — always striving for “consistency and relatedness of all parts.” In the early 1950s, he turned that thinking on the “ugly, confusing, unrestful world” created by the slum of legs beneath every table and chair. His answer was the pedestal: a single sculptural base that brought visual and physical freedom to the surrounding space.
Introduced in 1957 as part of the Tulip collection for Knoll, the Round Coffee Table applies that same resolution to a lower format — designed to sit in front of a sofa or between lounge chairs. Available in two diameters, D51cm and D91cm, with a choice of laminate, veneer, or marble tops. Marble tops are coated with transparent polyester to resist staining. Note: marble tops are 2cm thick and laminate/veneer tops are 3cm thick, which accounts for a 1cm difference in overall table height between configurations.
Specifications
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Dimensions (D91cm): D91 × H38–39cm
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Dimensions (D51cm): D51 × H36–37cm
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Base: heavy moulded cast aluminium; black and white bases protected with Rilsan powder coat
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Top options: bevel-edged satin smooth laminate in White or Black; veneer in Teak/Santos Rosewood; or marble (polyester-coated, 2cm thick) in the following finishes:
- Arabescato: white with grey veining
- Statuarietto
- Nero Marquina: rich black with white random veins
- Levanto: very dark green with burgundy/dark red hues and random clear veins
- Rosso Rubino: rich red with hues ranging from violet to green, with white and green veins
- Grigio Carnico: dark grey with thick veins ranging from grey to bright white
- Brown Emperador: random light brown and/or white veining
- Sahara Noir: rich black with random white and golden red veins
- Verde Alpi: green, hues vary in tone and intensity
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Marble finish: available in Gloss Coated or Satin Coated
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Authentication: Knoll logo on the underside of the base; KnollStudio logo and Eero Saarinen’s signature on the underside of the top or top support plate
Part of the Knoll Coffee Tables and Coffee Tables collections at Innes. Also available as the Saarinen Round Side Table, Saarinen Round Dining Table, and Saarinen Oval Coffee Table.
