Eero Saarinen’s penchant for perfection made him an impeccable designer. The Finnish-American architect opted for a sculptural approach when it came to his furniture designs. The aesthetic worked for him, a he grew obsessed with achieving the perfect curve or line.

Saarinen’s design process was a long and tedious one. He was so tuned into the details that he’d build hundreds of versions of a piece until it was visually and functionally flawless. The designer’s time was certainly not wasted; his innovative designs include the iconic Tulip Armchair, the Tulip Table and the Womb Chair.

Envisioning the placement of a piece proved to be a key to Saarinen’s great success. "Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context - a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan," he once said.