Alvar Aalto Coffee Table
View Similar Items
Alvar Aalto Coffee Table
About the Item
- Creator:Artek (Manufacturer),Alvar Aalto (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)Width: 29.5 in (74.93 cm)Depth: 47 in (119.38 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Period:1980-1989
- Date of Manufacture:1980s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU95416723423
Alvar Aalto
An architect and designer, Alvar Aalto deserves an immense share of the credit for bringing Scandinavian modernism to a prominent place in the global arena. In both his buildings and in his vintage furniture — which ranges from chairs, tables and lighting to table- and glassware — Aalto’s sensitivity to the natural world and to organic forms and materials tempered the hardness of rationalist design.
Relatively few Aalto buildings exist outside Finland. (Just four exist in the United States, and only one — the sinuous 1945 Baker House dormitory at M.I.T. — is easily visited.) International attention came to Aalto, whose surname translates to English as “wave,” primarily through his furnishings.
Instead of the tubular metal framing favored by the Bauhaus designers and Le Corbusier, Aalto insisted on wood. His aesthetic is best represented by the Paimio armchair, developed in 1930 as part of his overall design of a Finnish tuberculosis sanatorium. Comfortable, yet light enough to be easily moved by patients, the chair’s frame is composed of two laminated birch loops; the seat and back are formed from a single sheet of plywood that scrolls under at the headrest and beneath the knees, creating a sort of pillow effect. Aalto’s use of plywood had enormous influence on Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, Marcel Breuer and others who later came to the material.
Concerned with keeping up standards of quality in the production of his designs, Aalto formed the still-extant company Artek in 1935, along with his wife, Aino Aalto, whose glass designs were made by the firm. In the latter medium, in 1936 the Aaltos together created the iconic, undulating Savoy vase, so-called for the luxe Helsinki restaurant for which the piece was designed.
Artek also produced Aalto pendants and other lighting designs, many of which — such as the Angel’s Wing floor lamp and the Beehive pendant — incorporate a signature Aalto detail: shades made of concentric enameled-metal rings graduated down in diameter. The effect of the technique is essential Alvar Aalto: at once precise, simple, and somehow poetic.
Find a collection of vintage Alvar Aalto stools, vases, dining tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- Early Alvar Aalto Hallway Armchair in Red Lacquer FinishBy Finmar, Alvar AaltoLocated in Brooklyn, NYA striking Model 403 Hallway Chair in red lacquer finish, designed by Alvar Aalto for the Paimio Sanitorium, later issued by Finmar. The armchair showcases a fluid design, with a gra...Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBirch
- Poul Kjaerholm E. Kold Christensen PK61 Travertine Stone Coffee TableBy E. Kold Christensen, Poul KjærholmLocated in Brooklyn, NYEarly PK61 Table with a spectacular red stone top, designed by Poul Kjaerholm for E. Kold Christensen. The design is sleek and minimalist, executed with pre...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsStone, Travertine, Steel
- Martz Pedestal Side TableBy Gordon & Jane Martz, Marshall StudiosLocated in Brooklyn, NYMosaic tile top pedestal side table, designed by Jane and Gordon Martz for Marshall Studios. Signature inlaid ceramic mosaic in earthy tones with ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Pair of Martz Tile TablesBy Gordon & Jane Martz, Marshall StudiosLocated in Brooklyn, NYPair of matched Mosaic tile top pedestal side tables, designed by Jane and Gordon Martz for Marshall Studios. Signature inlaid ceramic Mosaic with earthy tones with subtle green hues...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Martz Ceramic Top Square Side TableBy Gordon & Jane Martz, Marshall StudiosLocated in Brooklyn, NYCeramic tile top square occasional table, designed by Jane and Gordon Martz for Marshall Studio. Signature inlaid ceramic mosaic with contrasting golden yellow and cream tiles on min...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Tables
MaterialsCeramic, Walnut
- Peter Hvidt "Pinwheel" TablesBy Peter Hvidt, John StuartLocated in Brooklyn, NYComplete set of six teak Model 523 tables, designed by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, imported by John Stuart. The clever design allows for the tables to be used as singular ...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsBrass
$12,500 / set
- Alvar Aalto Coffee TableBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Atlanta, GAAlvar Aalto Fan Leg Coffee Table, for Artek, Finland, circa 1980s. Retains warm original patina.Category
Vintage 1980s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood, Birch
$2,200 - Alvar Aalto Table by ArtekBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Highland, INThis terrific vintage Aalto table is entirely original and has a wonderful patina from age and use. Acquired directly from its original owner, it has great provenance. 18"h X 28.25"dCategory
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood
- Alvar Aalto Dining Table for ArtekBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in Los Angeles, CADining table by Alvar Aalto, c.1980s. The table features a rectangular laminate top that sits atop bent birch wood legs. This design features Aalto’s signature method of joining tabl...Category
Vintage 1980s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsLaminate, Birch, Bentwood
- Coffee Table by Alvar AaltoBy ArtekLocated in Copenhagen, DKLarge coffee table in birch. Maker Artek.Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsBirch
- Midcentury Alvar Aalto Blonde Birch Bentwood Leg Coffee Table or BenchBy Alvar Aalto, ArtekLocated in BROOKLYN, NYMidcentury coffee or cocktail table or Bench by Finnish architect and designer Alvar Allto. Stands on 4 birch bentwood legs and table top surface rectang...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood, Birch, Bentwood
$6,400 Sale Price20% Off - Alvar Aalto Coffee Cart Model 901, Artek 1960sBy Alvar Aalto, Artek, Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas OyLocated in Helsinki, FIAlvar Aalto first introduced this model cart in the 1930s. It is one of the simplest of his cart series. Inspirations of the British tea culture as well as Japanese wood works are ev...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsLaminate, Birch
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The Very Modern Love Story of Mid-Century Design Duo Alvar and Aino Aalto
A power couple before the term existed, the influential pair made work that still resonates today.
What Makes Scandinavian Modernism and Nordic Design So Irresistible?
Andrew Duncanson, founder of the Stockholm- and London-based gallery Modernity, weighs in on the masters of mid-century furniture and decorative arts.