Mademoiselle Rocking Chair

Designer: Ilmari Tapiovaara

Born September 7, 1914 in Finland, Ilmari Tapiovaara was a designer noted for his furnishings and textiles. A graduate of interior design in 1937, Ilmari worked for Asko the following year and would count Alvar Aalto as a strong influence. He gained recognition for his work on the Domus chairs which came about while working with his wife at the Domus Academica from 1946 to 1947. The following year he taught design at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Ilmari Tapiovaara would then go on to do work in Paraguay and Mauritius on behalf of a United Nations development program. Further in 1959 he received the Order of the Lion of Finland's "Pro-Finlandia medal." Much of Ilmari's work was done for universities, schools, as well as a "Root Table" for the Finnish army.