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Alvar Aalto Sofa Tables

Many of the most important works by acclaimed Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto can be attributed to a single design element: the L-leg. The L-shaped design allowed legs to be attached directly to Aalto’s sophisticated tables and seating, without the need for a connecting joint. This innovation, which he called “the little sister of the architectural column,” characterized the designer’s penchant for simple, easily adaptable furniture pieces, such as the side tables, coffee tables and dining tables he created, which straddled elegance and simplicity.

Developed in partnership with furniture manufacturer Otto Korhonen and patented in 1933, the L-shaped leg — the result of Aalto’s experimentation with bending birchwood, a pioneering technique at the time — would become a hallmark of tables, stools (see his iconic Stool 60), benches and chairs that Aalto designed and produced through his company, Artek, which he cofounded in 1935 with his wife and designer Aino, Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl. The company quickly found success selling streamlined, modern furniture both in Finland and, thanks to a growing interest in Nordic furniture outside Scandinavia, internationally, including the UK where many early Artek pieces were imported by the company Finmar.

Like much of his furniture, most of Aalto’s tables, especially early models, are constructed either fully or in part with birch, which the designer referred to as a “form-inspiring, deeply human material.” The flexibility of his L-leg design allowed for easily interchangeable combinations of tabletops. It also standardized the design process for multiple shapes, with the same bentwood L-legs attached to round, square or rectangular tops for a variety of table models. This look is a hallmark of Aalto’s style — and, indeed, of mid-century Scandinavian modern design in general. It has been frequently riffed on and copied throughout the ensuing decades, though Artek still produces Aalto’s original designs.

Find a wide range of vintage Alvar Aalto tables on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Alvar Aalto
An Exceptionally Rare Alvar Aalto War-time Coffee table in Birch, Artek 1940s
An Exceptionally Rare Alvar Aalto War-time Coffee table in Birch, Artek 1940s

An Exceptionally Rare Alvar Aalto War-time Coffee table in Birch, Artek 1940s

By Alvar Aalto, Artek, Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy

Located in Helsinki, FI

A beautiful wartime coffee or sofa table by Alvar Aalto. This table features the distinctive wartime joints, a construction detail used during and around the Second World War when ma...

Category

1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Sofa Tables

Materials

Birch

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1980s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Alvar Aalto Sofa Tables

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Previously Available Items
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Alvar Aalto sofa tables for sale on 1stDibs.

Alvar Aalto sofa tables are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. Many of the original sofa tables by Alvar Aalto were created in the Scandinavian Modern style in finland during the 1930s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider sofa tables by and Tapio Wirkkala. Prices for Alvar Aalto sofa tables can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $3,407 and can go as high as $3,407, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,407.
Questions About Alvar Aalto Sofa Tables
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024
    Alvar Aalto is known for bringing Scandinavian modernism and Nordic design to global prominence. In his designs for buildings and furniture, Aalto's sensitivity to the natural world and to organic forms and materials tempered the hardness of rationalist design. One of his most famous pieces is the Paimio armchair, which he designed in 1930 for a Finnish tuberculosis sanatorium. Comfortable yet light enough to be easily moved by patients, the Paimio chair's frame is made of two laminated birch loops. The seat and back are formed from a single sheet of plywood that scrolls under the headrest and beneath the knees, creating a pillow effect. Aalto's use of plywood had an enormous influence on Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, Marcel Breuer and many others. On 1stDibs, shop an assortment of Alvar Aalto furniture.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024
    The style most commonly associated with Alvar Aalto is Scandinavian modern. As an architect and designer, Aalto deserves an immense share of the credit for bringing Scandinavian modernism and Nordic design to a prominent place in the global arena. In both his buildings and his vintage furniture, Aalto's sensitivity to the natural world and organic forms and materials tempered the hardness of rationalist design, as is indicative of Scandinavian modern pieces. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Alvar Aalto furniture.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2024
    The Paimio chair, designed by Alvar Aalto, is a type of armchair created in 1932. Also called the Armchair 41, it was intended to help people breathe easier and was designed for a tuberculosis sanatorium in the Finnish city of Paimio. For the chair's frame, Aalto and his wife, Aino, opted to use Finland's native birchwood, which is strong and inexpensive and felt warmer and more organic than the tubular steel found in similarly shaped pieces. Laminated wood loops form the arms, legs and a pair of flat skids, while its sculptural seat and back are built from a single piece of thin plywood. Shop a variety of Alvar Aalto Paimio chairs on 1stDibs.