There's nothing I Iove more than a good mid-century modern classic. The organic forms and clean lines are simultaneously old and new. These pieces were groundbreaking when they entered the market in the 1950s and have become beloved staples over the decades. Introduced in 1956 by the Finnish American architect and industrial designer Eero Saarnien, the pedestal "tulip" table is no exception to this rule.

Saarinen designed this as the table pared down to its simplest form. The result: quite simply gorg. The tulip table works magic in its surroundings and holds its own in any style decor.

Before we even closed on our apartment, I spent hours pouring over our floor plans. The living/dining area proved challenging. Lacking an entry foyer and formal dining area, I wanted both. Without much square footage to work with, I set out to work on some furniture plan scenarios. Don't let that wide angle lens deceive you!

The result? A breakfast nook/entry. I shall call it a "brentry"!

For "brentry" inspiration, I came across this image from Better Homes and Gardens. Something about the cheery blues and greens and the simplicity of the dining table coupled with the cozy, more traditional upholstered chairs struck just the balance I was looking for in our new home. I wish I knew who designed this happy room so I could give photocred where photocred is due!

With this inspiration in mind, I embarked on my search for a 42" round pedestal table that would double as a beautiful entry table in our small space. Alas! I found that unless you have approximately 4K to shell out on a shiny new Saarinen table from Knoll, Room and Board, or Design Within Reach then you are straight out of luck. And if you do, the more power to you!

I ended up scoring on Craigslist. (Similar here). Sure, my Saarinen table is "vintage" from the 90s (that makes us 80s babies antiques then, right?) with several scratches on the base and some chips along the edge of the marble top, but that just adds to its character. The quality of the marble top is beautiful and I like that it has slight imperfections. I also had to opt for the 48" v. the 42" drawn in on my plan. However, it works! It just goes to show that decorating is not an exact science, and when you really love a piece, you can fudge it. And for $400 v. $4,000? Yes, I can certainly fudge that - with room left for some tulips...