What Exactly is the Tulip Table?

Some people think that a  Tulip table can be any table which has a large, oval-shaped surface that matches a smaller oval-shaped surface at the base. Some people don’t really know what a  Tulip table is, but chances are they’ve seen it a lot or even owned one at some point in their lives.

Product Link:  Tulip Table Replica

The Tulip table is a concept, more than an actual object. That concept repeats itself through a series of items created by Finnish-American designer Eero Saarinen in the mid-fifties and sixties as a part of the modernist aesthetic. So, what exactly is a Tulip table? How do we recognize it?

Solving a problem as old as society itself through nature and intelligent design

Anyone can tell you what a table is. A square or rectangular-shaped object with four legs on each corner or one large base at the center. You sit at it, you eat on it, you work with it. The idea of a four-legged table is usually preferable and more common because if you only use a thick, lone leg at the center the table will most likely fall over at some point.

Product Link:  Tulip Table

Eero Saarinen knew this, but he also knew that using a four-legged scheme meant less space to put your chair in, less space to move around the table, less space to add a chair (i.e., a new guest) to the table, and less space to stretch your legs while sitting.

Thinking about certain objects stay upright in nature, the idea for the Tulip concept was first conceived on a chair design, the Tulip table came later. The notion was very simple: make the surface and the base similar in shape, but make the first one heavier and wider than the other.

This way, you can have a central “stem” that supports the table, and a lot less chance that it will fall over. In fact, it would be very difficult to topple an actual Tulip table by accident, you’d have to try and do it intentionally.

Why everyone should own at least one Tulip table

The experience of working and living around the oval-shaped table is very different from the regular experience brought on by the rectangular shape. Having a tulip table adds a lot more flexibility and mobility to your living space, and can help ease your traffic around the house.

Product Link:  Tulip Dining Table

The sleek, curved lines are also very appealing in most contexts, easier to move around than other tables, and equally durable. An original Saarinen table will set you back thousands of dollars but nowadays there are a lot of good replicas in the market. So do some research and go get your own!