Pair of Eero Saarinen Knoll Executive Chairs Full Restoration by Greenapple

Through his work as an architect and designer, Eero Saarinen was a prime mover in the introduction of modernism into the American mainstream. Particularly affecting were the organic, curvilinear forms seen in Saarinen’s furniture and his best-known structures: the gull-winged TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy airport in New York (opened 1962), Dulles International Airport in Virginia (1962) and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri (1965).

Saarinen had a peerless modernist pedigree. His father, Eliel Saarinen, was an eminent Finnish architect who in 1932 became the first head of the Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Detroit. The school became synonymous with progressive design and decorative arts in the United States, and while studying there the younger Saarinen met and befriended several luminaries of mid-century modernism, among them Harry Bertoia and Charles and Ray Eames.

At Cranbrook, Saarinen also met Florence Schust Knoll, who, as director of her husband Hans Knoll's eponymous furniture company, would put Saarinen’s best designs into production. These include the Grasshopper chair, designed in 1946 and so named because its angled bentwood frame resembles the insect; the Tulip chair (1957), a flower-shaped fiberglass shell mounted on a cast-aluminum pedestal; and the lushly contoured Womb lounge chair and ottoman (1948). In his furniture as in his architecture, the keynotes of Eero Saarinen’s designs are simplicity, strength and grace.

Find vintage Eero Saarinen tables, chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.

The Greenapple furniture company creates captivating pieces using novel forms, colors and materials inspired by modern and Art Deco styles. Its unique 21st-century furniture combines luxury and an uncommon eye for design. Greenapple creates high-end furniture for homes, hotels and commercial spaces, with the tastes and needs of its clients considered in every step of the design process.

The furniture company was started in 2005, when Portuguese economists Rute Martins and Sérgio Rebola teamed up with the idea of employing traditional Portuguese craftsmanship to create beautiful bespoke furniture and decor.

Over time, Greenapple grew to a team of 30 craftspeople, all bringing their individual skills to each new design. A master woodworker, upholsterer and finishing specialist lead the team, with their work also passing down this expertise to the next generation of creators.

Greenapple challenges the uniformity of mass-produced furniture, such as in its playful forms for velvet-upholstered seating and wall mirrors that involve eclectic materials like green onyx, gold leaf and marble. Whether infusing complexity into the structure of a side table or bringing a silhouette of simple elegance to a set of uncomplicated dining chairs, Greenapple incorporates bold concepts and fresh ideas into every piece.

Greenapple has showcased its work around the world, including in Shanghai in 2018 for an Associative Design business mission. The company has an international clientele, including collectors in Asia, North America and across Europe. 

On 1stDibs, explore the vibrant luxury of Portuguese master craftsmanship with Greenapple seating, tables, lighting, decorative objects and more.