"space Age" Table And Chairs, Tabacoff And Rinaldi, Ca. 1970

A spectacular dining set representative of 1970s French “Space Age” design, based on Boris Tabacoff’s “Scimitar” model for the chairs and Gastone Rinaldi’s design for the table. It consists of a round table with a glass top and four chairs with organic lines, upholstered in orange faux leather—a material particularly emblematic of that decade. The table’s base is composed of four chrome-plated steel elements forming symmetrical arches around a central post. These curved spokes give the structure a dynamic look while creating the impression that the tabletop is floating above the floor. The four chairs feature a padded seat extended by a wraparound, slightly flared backrest. Their fluid silhouette contrasts with the geometric precision of the circular tabletop. The combination of glass, mirror-finish chrome, and bright orange fully embodies the futuristic aesthetic of the 1970s. Despite its bold character, the use of glass lends the entire piece a genuine sense of visual lightness. Set of four Belgian “Idée 2000” chairs, produced by Euro International Steel Furniture, based in Drongen, near Ghent. Some signs of wear and oxidation consistent with its age; the leather has been cleaned and a few scratches repaired. In good condition.

Dimensions: table diameter: 120 cm – table height: 72.5 cm – seat height: 45 cm

Lit: Boris Tabacoff, Bulgaria-France (1927–1985): Born in 1927 in Bulgaria, Boris Tabacoff was a Bulgarian designer who was part of the Postwar School of Paris (1945–2000). He was the very first designer from this school to create furniture and objects out of Plexiglas. Tabacoff arrived in Paris in the 1950s; he had not yet found his niche within the “Postwar School of Paris” as a sculptor or artisan. He visited a renowned sculptors’ studio founded by the sculptor Philippe Scrive on Rue de Seine. Since 1948, Scrive had been renovating this dilapidated space to house his family, the abstract painter Françoise Staar (1933–2011), and his sculptor friends who lacked studios. Scrive thus welcomed up to 22 postwar sculptor friends from around the world who shared a passion for sculpture and the hope for better days. In 1954, the Algerian War broke out. Scrive left his family and his sculptor disciples in a state of disarray and entrusted his studio to Boris Tabacoff, who took it over under his own name. Boris Tabacoff benefited from France’s “Thirty Glorious Years,” and his studio designed and manufactured Cardin’s designs. He was a frequent presence in art magazines of the 1960s and 1970s thanks to Cardin, using Plexiglas to produce Cardin bathtubs, chairs, tables, and clocks, as well as prestigious Plexiglas desks. Boris Tabacoff died in France in 1985.

Lit: Gastone Rinaldi (Milan, 1920–1999) was an Italian designer and a pioneer of postwar furniture and metal objects. Active primarily in Milan, he founded the company Rinaldi/Rima in the 1950s, focusing on chairs, tables, and lightweight, functional furniture with clean lines. His creations combine technical innovation, elegance, and a modern spirit, helping to solidify the reputation of Italian industrial design.