La Fonda coffee table by Alexander Girard for Herman Miller
About the Item
- Creator:Herman Miller (Manufacturer),Charles Eames (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)Diameter: 30 in (76.2 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960s
- Condition:Minor fading. This coffee table is in great vintage condition. This piece is such a stunning example.
- Seller Location:San Diego, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6417236046412
Charles Eames
The legacy of Charles Eames looms large in design. In partnership with his wife, Ray, Charles was at the forefront of pioneering innovation in the use of molded plywood for furniture making. The Eameses’ cheerful and inviting work has endured among the most important advancements in the history of 20th-century design.
Together, visionary mid-century modern duo Charles and Ray Eames introduced a wide range of renowned furniture to the postwar market, including iconic designs such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, the wildly colorful birch plywood-and-plastic-laminate Eames storage unit, the Eames compact sofa and more. The designers were trailblazers in molded plywood furniture and brought lively organic form to metal and plastic.
Charles Eames studied architecture at Washington University in St. Louis. He traveled to Mexico and Europe, and experienced firsthand the work of designer-architects Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. In 1930, upon returning to Missouri, Eames opened an architecture practice with Charles M. Gray but later moved to Michigan in 1938. He received a fellowship at Cranbrook Academy of Art, which would become a breeding ground for the stars of mid-century design. Eames continued his architecture studies at Cranbrook and also taught in the design department.
In 1940, Eames met his future wife, artist and designer Beatrice Alexandra "Ray" Kaiser, who was studying at Cranbrook under Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann. Charles teamed up with another Cranbrook instructor, Finnish-American designer Eero Saarinen, to explore the possibilities of plywood for use in furniture design.
With support from Ray, Charles and Eero created chairs and case pieces and submitted them to the “Organic Design in Home Furnishings” competition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City — among them was the groundbreaking organic Side chair made of molded plywood with maple legs. It was upholstered by Heywood-Wakefield. This exhibition is considered critical by many to the popularization of what is known as mid-century modernism. Eames and Saarinen won first place for their submissions to the competition.
Charles and Ray were married in 1941 and soon after moved to Los Angeles, California, and lived in an apartment building designed by architect Richard Neutra. Charles worked on set design at MGM, and at night, in a humble workshop they established in the guest bedroom, he and Ray experimented with molded plywood on a homemade device they called the “Kazaam!” machine. In 1942, the couple won a U.S. Navy contract to create molded plywood leg splints that would be used to support wartime medical efforts. Soon, the Evans Product Company was making the splints and the Eameses opened the famed Eames Office and studio.
The Eameses’ innovative use of wire framing, molded plywood and applied fabrics caught the attention of many notable figures in interior design and architecture, including George Nelson, director of design at Herman Miller, a now-legendary modern furniture manufacturer. The company enlisted the Eameses’ talents and was eventually home to the couple’s classic pieces such as the Eames DCW chair and the DCM chair.
Find an extensive array of vintage Charles Eames seating, tables and case pieces on 1stDibs.
Herman Miller
No other business of its kind did more than the Herman Miller Furniture Company to introduce modern design into American homes. Working with legendary designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Alexander Girard, the Zeeland, Michigan-based firm fostered some of the boldest expressions of what we now call mid-century modern style. In doing so, Herman Miller produced some of the most beautiful, iconic and, one can even say, noblest furniture ever.
Founded in 1923, Herman Miller was originally known for grand historicist bedroom suites: heavily ornamented wood furniture that appealed to a high-minded, wealthier clientele. The company — named for its chief financial backer — began to suffer in the early 1930s as the Great Depression hit, and D.J. De Pree, the company’s CEO, feared bankruptcy. In 1932, aid came in the form of Gilbert Rohde, a self-taught furniture designer who had traveled widely in Europe, absorbing details of the Art Deco movement and other modernist influences. After persuading De Pree that the growing middle-class required smaller, lighter household furnishings, Rohde set a new course for Herman Miller, creating sleek chairs, tables and cabinetry that were the essence of the Streamline Moderne style.
Rohde died suddenly in 1944. The following year, De Pree turned to George Nelson, an architect who had written widely about modern furniture design. Under Nelson’s leadership, Herman Miller would embrace new technologies and materials and audacious biomorphic forms. Some of the pieces the company produced are now emblems of 20th century American design, including the Eames lounge chair and ottoman and Nelson’s Marshmallow sofa and Coconut chair. As you can see on 1stDibs, such instantly recognizable furnishings have become timeless — staples of a modernist décor; striking, offbeat notes in traditional environments.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: San Diego, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Solid Walnut Coffee Table by Ace HiBy ACE-HILocated in San Diego, CAClassic mid century coffee table, made in California, by Ace-Hi as part of the Prelude line. This table is pure gorgeous wood grain, elegant shape and mid century modern magic! Ther...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Hans Wegner for Andreas Tuck Oak Coffee Table, Model AT-15By Hans J. Wegner, Andreas TuckLocated in San Diego, CAModernist oak coffee table designed by Hans Wegner for Andreas Tuck, model AT-15, Denmark circa 1960s A robust yet elegant blonde coffee table in untreated and solid oak. A thin sol...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsOak
- George Nelson Rosewood Thin Edge 4 drawer Dresser by Herman Miller #2By George NelsonLocated in San Diego, CAA rosewood thin edge chest designed by George Nelson for Herman Miller with exquisite rosewood grain and early original white porcelain handles. The George Nelson Rosewood Thin Edg...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsAluminum
- Greta Magnusson Grossman Dining Table for Glenn of CaliforniaBy Greta Magnusson Grossman, Glenn of CaliforniaLocated in San Diego, CARare Rectangular dining table by Greta M. Grossman for Glenn of California, circa. 1950s. The table features a solid walnut wood frame with a black laminate top and iron stretchers s...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsLaminate, Walnut
- Hans J. Wegner AT-303 “Sabre” Dining Table for Andreas TuckBy Hans J. Wegner, Andreas TuckLocated in San Diego, CAUniquely beautiful cross-leg dining table, designed by Hans J. Wegner for Andreas Tuck, featured in Teak, Oak & Brass, is also known as the Sabre table. W...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsBrass
- 1st Generation Mr Chair and Ottoman by George Mulhauser for PlycraftBy George MulhauserLocated in San Diego, CAGeorge Mulhauser designed this incredibly comfortable and attractive Mr Chair and ottoman in early 1960. We have restored the bentwood walnut shell and reupholstered in brand new bla...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Walnut
- Alexander Girard Coffee Table by Herman MillerBy Alexander Girard, Herman MillerLocated in Highland, INAlexander Girard's model #66350 coffee table was part of a suite of furniture originally designed for Braniff Airlines. Produced by Herman Miller for a single year in 1967, these rar...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsAluminum
- Herman Miller Eames La Fonda Coffee TableBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Brooklyn, NYBeautiful and iconic Herman Miller Eames La Fonda Coffee table chrome base with new custom marble top. All foot glides present for use on m...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsChrome
- 1970s Herman Miller Eames Girard La Fonda End Coffee Table w/ Round Slate TopBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in Philadelphia, PAListed for sale is a La Fonda end or coffee table, produced by Herman Miller and designed by Ray and Charles Eames. This series was designed for the La Fonda restaurant, designed by ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsAluminum, Chrome
- "La Fonda" Marble Top Coffee Table by Charles & Ray Eames for Herman MillerBy Herman Miller, Charles and Ray EamesLocated in San Diego, CAA gorgeous "La Fonda" coffee table designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller with original Botticinno marble top and polished aluminum base, circa 1970s. This rare table wa...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMarble, Aluminum
- Eames La Fonda Slate Top Coffee or End Table for Herman MillerBy Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in Chesterfield, NJHandsome La Fonda coffee or large end table designed by Charles and Ray Eames and manufactured by Herman Miller. The series was originally designed for Alexander Girard's La Fonda re...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsSlate, Metal
- Coffee Table by Alexander Girard & Charles Eames for La Fonda NYC 1960By Alexander GirardLocated in Jersey City, NJAlexander Girard designed coffee or cocktail table for La Fonda de Sol Restaurant in Manhattan's Time & Life building in 1960 where he designed the furniture, dinnerware and logos an...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
A Guide to Herman Miller’s Most Iconic Furniture
The prolific manufacturer has partnered with many of the world’s top designers since opening its doors in 1923. Here are some of the company’s greatest hits, which helped transform the American home and office.