The tulip chair was designed in 1956 by Finnish architect and designer Eero Saarinen, as a complement to his tulip table. Saarinen originally intended for the chair to be made from a single piece of molded fiberglass, but since early prototypes of the fiberglass were prone to breaking, he had to settle for a cast aluminum base, coated with rislan to match the fiberglass upper shell. The chair is still produced by Knoll using this same method. (Saarinen's dream of manufacturing a chair from a single continuous piece of material wouldn't be realized until 1967, with Verner Panton's famous S chair.)
Like any true classic, the tulip chair is enormously versatile, equally lovely with a traditional table (or desk) as it is with the tulip it was originally created for. A lookalike to the tulip even appeared on the set of the original Star Trek. These chairs are not the tulip, but the Burke 115, a similar design with a four-pronged propeller base, instead of the tulip's round one.
TOP ROW:
1. Perfect with a traditional table in this interior from Vogue.
2. Space agey goodness. Love the easter egg palette and the Lindsey Adelman lamp, too. From Solid Frog.
3. As seen in Kelly's Retro Artist Loft.
4. The tulip demonstrates its versatility; pretty with a chinoiserie cabinet, from House and Home.
5. Airy and modern from Desire to Inspire.
MIDDLE ROW:
6. Charming paired with a traditional desk in The Martinez Family's Modern Mountain Turkey Coop.
7 & 8. In a MCM-filled Barcelona apartment from Miss Design.
9. In a glamorous workspace from Lonny.
10. Lovely luxe modern from Interiors Digital.
BOTTOM ROW:
11. In a breakfast nook from Lonny.
12. The tulip armchair in a quirky mix of classic chairs. Home of Marcus Hay, from Real Living Magazine via Oh Joy.
13. Love this mix of midcentury and traditional pieces from Sarah & Steve's Attic Aerie.
14. Black tulips with bright colors in this saturated interior from Interiors Digital.
15. In a colorful interior from Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz.
(Images: as linked above)
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At first I thought all the photos belong to one house/apartment. It is a good idea to have one piece common for all the rooms - chair. I am not sure if it will be too overwhelming or not, but I just in a DEEP love with the tulip chairs.
Ok, stop. No 10 is from the fantastic Miller House, located in Columbus, Indiana. Saarinen worked closely with the clients to design the interiors (along with Alexander Girard, who worked on many of the textiles). Source correctly, please! The Miller House is well worth checking out, if you're a fan of this period of design.
I like the idea of using one tulip chair for a desk or vanity, because I find too many of them get a little '1970's idea of the future' for me.
I have them in my dining nook ( 3 of them) in the LR and everyone that eats at my place raves about this chairs as they are really comfy to sit in for hours! They are really really nice to look and to sit in, I got nine in vintage condition and had them upholstered with the original Kvadrat fabric. It was not cheap but the fabric is amazing and looks after 3 years of heavy use and two nasty cats still brand new.
I love the navy-colored dining room/library with the hot pink tulip chairs. That picture is the inspiration for the dining room in our new house.