Released in 1956, the Eames Model 650 Dining Table had a very distinctive design with its pedestal column and spider like aluminum base. The range was made available in two sizes, either 45" (model 650) or 36" (model 652), as well as two colors of base (black or white), the tops however were only available in white plastic.
The 650 range of tables were the first to be released to the market that were not made from the molded plywood developed for furniture post war in the Eames Office. Newly available materials meant that this new look design benefited from lightweight Aluminum as a base for the first time along with a plastic top and vinyl edging. Note how the base matched that of the Eames Lounge Chair and Stephens Trusonic speaker released in the same year.
The range was very much a transitional design and it was a precursor to the Aluminum group and its contract base that would be released two years after in 1958. The success and versatility of the Alu Group would ultimately see the 650 range phased out by 1960.
The Eames Model 650 Dining Table was a popular choice, especially when bought alongside a grouping of fiberglass side or arm chairs. Its short lifespan means that relatively few of them reach the secondary market today and they are certainly not as well known as the contract and subsequent Universal Base tables that superseded them.
| Height | 28." | 72.39 cm |
| Diameter | 36" or 45" | 91.44 cm or 114.3 cm |
| Top | Molded Laminated Plastic only in white |
| Base | Pedestal and spider design in Aluminum |
| Feet | Screw in domes of silence |
| Edging | Dark grey Vinyl edging |
The edging of the 650 tables was a very dark grey protective vinyl.
White based variant of the Model 650 Eames Dining Table
1959 Herman Miller catalog page of the Model 650 complete with pricing
The base of the Model 650 table was the same as that from the Eames Lounge Chair
This 1957 Herman Miller catalog detailed the 650 tables options and variants