Design from A to Z: T is for Tulip

One of the most beloved dining sets was made to untangle the mess of legs underneath tables and chairs by a mid-century design visionary who changed the landscape of home furnishings. Eero Saarinen approached furniture design as an artist creating a sculpture, with fluid shapes and curvilinear forms. He built function with beauty and gave new form to the industry by pushing the boundaries of what furniture was supposed to look like — and not just tables and chairs, Saarinen studied structures large and small. In the development of the Tulip chair and pedestal table, he considered how the round form lends itself to more intimate conversation, how our legs fill the negative space underneath the surface and how often we shuffle around in our seats or cross our legs, shifting balance. His iterative prototyping process attempted to understand human behavior by testing how furniture would be used and how it would look within a space, ultimately developing timeless and adored pieces that have stood the test of over half a century of use in our homes and workspaces.

Today, we’re celebrating the Tulip as one of the most recognizable icons of mid-century modernism, designed to add clarity and value to our daily lives. –Bethany

from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2017/08/design-from-a-to-z-t-is-for-tulip.html

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/164521899754