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Florence Knoll Tables

American, 1917-2019

Architect, furniture designer, interior designer, entrepreneur — Florence Knoll had a subtle but profound influence on the course of mid-century American modernism. Dedicated to functionality and organization, and never flamboyant, Knoll shaped the ethos of the postwar business world with her skillfully realized office plans and polished, efficient designs for sofas, credenzas, desks and other furnishings.

Knoll had perhaps the most thorough design education of any of her peers. Florence Schust was orphaned at age 12, and her guardian sent her to Kingswood, a girl’s boarding school that is part of the Cranbrook Educational Community in suburban Detroit. Her interest in design brought her to the attention of Eliel Saarinen, the Finnish architect and head of the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Saarinen and his wife took the talented child under their wing, and she became close to their son, the future architect Eero Saarinen. While a student at the academy, Florence befriended artist-designer Harry Bertoia and Charles and Ray Eames. Later, she studied under three of the Bauhaus masters who emigrated to the United States. She worked as an apprentice in the Boston architectural offices of Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer; Ludwig Mies van der Rohe taught her at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

In 1941, she met Hans Knoll, whose eponymous furniture company was just getting off the ground. They married in 1946, and her design sense and his business skills soon made Knoll Inc. a leading firm in its field. Florence signed up the younger Saarinen as a designer, and would develop pieces by Bertoia, Mies and the artist Isamu Noguchi.

Florence Knoll's main work came as head of the Knoll Planning Group, designing custom office interiors for clients such as IBM and CBS. The furniture she created for these spaces reflects her Bauhaus training: the pieces are pure functional design, exactingly built; their only ornament from the materials, such as wood and marble. Her innovations — the oval conference table, for example, conceived as a way to ensure clear sightlines among all seated at a meeting — were always in the service of practicality.

Since her retirement in 1965, Knoll received the National Medal of Arts, among other awards; in 2004 the Philadelphia Museum of Art mounted the exhibition “Florence Knoll: Defining Modern” — well deserved accolades for a strong, successful design and business pioneer. As demonstrated on these pages, the simplicity of Knoll’s furniture is her work’s great virtue: they fit into any interior design scheme.

Find vintage Florence Knoll sofas, benches, armchairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Florence Knoll
Large Florence Knoll Boat Shaped Conference Table in Walnut with Metal Frame
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Florence Knoll for Florence Knoll International, large dining table, walnut, metal, United States, 1963. Large dining or conference table with boat shaped top in walnut. The table has six cylindrical metal legs. The top of this table shows the beautiful grain of the luxurious walnut. Nicely contrast of the natural and elegant top with modern and clean base. Due to its tapered shape, everyone at the table will be able to look each other in the eye. A perfect table for any dinner or meeting. Florence Knoll (1917) was trained as an architect and had a sense of style from a very young age. During her school time at Cranbrook, Eliel Saarinen (then the headmaster) and his family included her in their family. In 1936 she met Alvar Aalto and was trained by Marcel Breuer, Walter Gropius and (as if the long list of eminent designers is not long enough) Mies van der Rohe. This meant that although she was barely out of her teens, she was educated by the best of the European modernists. When she arrived in New York she worked on interior projects (being the only female) which is how she came to know Hans Knoll. When Florence joined Knoll, the planning unit started. Florence also made sure that the designs where more 'American Modernist' instead of Scandinavian, When Hans Knoll died she...
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Tables

Materials

Metal

Early T Angle Onyx Coffee Table / Bench by Florence Knoll # 332 for Knoll
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Buffalo, NY
A very early and rare segmented topped onyx coffee table or bench with satin black T angled metal base . This architectural styled piece would fit into almost any interior room or en...
Category

1950s American Vintage Florence Knoll Tables

Materials

Onyx, Iron

Walnut Round Dining Table by Florence Knoll for Knoll International
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
Stunning and very rare round dining or conference table by Florence Knoll has a versatile diameter of 160cm. It has a solid walnut top and a chrome-plated steel base. Produced in the...
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1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Tables

Materials

Stainless Steel

Oval Burgundy Marble Dining Table by Florence Knoll, United States, 1960s
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Antwerp, BE
Oval burgundy marble dining table by Florence Knoll, manufactured in the United States during the 1960s. The tabletop, hewn from solid bur...
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1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Tables

Materials

Marble, Steel

Knoll for Saarinen, Pedestal table “Tulip”, 20th century
By Florence Knoll
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Eero Saarinen, by. Florence Knoll, edited by. Pedestal table model “Tulip”, with its Arabesco marble top and its white lacquered cast aluminum base. American work realized at the e...
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Late 20th Century Central American Florence Knoll Tables

Materials

Marble, Aluminum

Mid Century Florence Knoll Square Coffee Table in Walnut
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Detroit, MI
This vintage Mid-Century Modern Florence Knoll for Knoll Associates, Inc. square wood coffee table is circa 1960 and features a walnut wood top on a steel frame. This iconic table is a mid century modern classic and exemplifies the clean, minimalist design of the period pairing well with a wide selection of design styles from classic mid century modern to contemporary. Original Knoll Associates, Inc. label on underside. Please reach out to us with any questions about this item or for further clarification of shipping options by clicking on the “Ask the Seller...
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Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Florence Knoll Tables

Materials

Steel

Florence Knoll Coffee Table in Glass and Chrome, USA, 1970s
By Florence Knoll
Located in Amsterdam, NL
This coffee table was designed by the famous American designer Florence Knoll (1917-2019). Florence Knoll was based in the U.S. with the design agency 'Knoll International'. The tabl...
Category

1970s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Tables

Materials

Chrome

1950s Original Vintage Florence Knoll Bedside End Side Table Walnut and Laminate
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a vintage 1950's Florence Knoll walnut and white laminate bedside table, produced by Knoll Associates. The table is in very n...
Category

1950s American Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Tables

Materials

Laminate, Walnut

Florence Knoll Nightstand in Walnut
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Houston, TX
Florence Knoll nightstand in walnut Knoll, USA, 1956. Walnut. Measures: 18 W x 18 D x 20 H inches. Nightstand has a single drawer ab...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Tables

Materials

Walnut

Oval dining table by Florence Knoll for Knoll International
By Florence Knoll
Located in Köln, NRW
Florence Knoll oval desk/dining table for Knoll International, 1970s. Frame chrome-plated steel, top oval walnut, WHT 200 cm x 71.5 cm x 120 cm.
Category

1960s German Vintage Florence Knoll Tables

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Florence Knoll Round Low Table in White Marble and Metal by Knoll 1950s Italy
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Montecatini Terme, IT
Low table with a round-shaped table top in white marble and four metal legs from the Parallel Bar series, designed by Florence Knoll and manufactured by Knoll International during the 1950s. Born to a baker, and orphaned at age twelve, Florence Schust grew up in Saginaw, Michigan. Schust demonstrated an early interest in architecture and was enrolled at the Kingswood School for Girls, adjacent to the Cranbrook Academy of Art. While at Kingswood, Florence befriended Eilel Saarinen, whom she would later study under at Cranbrook. Warmly embraced by the Saarinen family, Florence vacationed with them in Finland, enjoyed the company of their accomplished friends, and formed a very close relationship with Eliel’s son, Eero. The connections she made and the skills she developed while at Cranbrook were the foundations of Florence Schust’s incredible design education and pioneering career. With recommendations from Eliel Saarinen and Alvar Aalto, Florence went on to study under some of the greatest 20th century architects, including Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe at the Illinois Institute of Technology. In 1941 Florence moved to New York where she met Hans Knoll who was establishing his furniture company. With Florence’s design skills and Hans’ business acumen and salesmanship, the pair, who married in 1946, grew the nascent company into an international arbiter of style and design. Florence also seeded contributions with her friends Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, and Mies van der Rohe. In creating the revolutionary Knoll Planning Unit, Florence Knoll defined the standard for the modern corporate interiors of post-war America. Drawing on her background in architecture, she introduced modern notions of efficiency, space planning, and comprehensive design to office planning. Florence ardently maintained that she did not merely decorate space. She created it. The Planning Unit rigorously researched and surveyed each client — assessing their needs, defining patterns of use and understanding company hierarchies — before presenting a comprehensive design, informed by the principles of modernism and beautifully executed in signature Knoll style. Florence and the Planning Unit were responsible for the interiors of some of America’s largest corporations, including IBM, GM and CBS. As part of her work with the Planning Unit, Florence frequently contributed furniture designs to the Knoll catalog...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Tables

Materials

Marble, Metal

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Florence Knoll Walnut & Chrome Oval Dining Table or Desk for Knoll Inc.
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Previously Available Items
Oval Dining Table by Florence Knoll for Knoll International 1960S
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Lasne, BE
Table with wooden top and metal base by Florence Knoll. Large model. Wear due to time and age of the table.
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Florence Knoll 2480 Oval Dining Table in Walnut for Knoll, 1960s
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in ABCOUDE, UT
Timeless design by Florence Knoll model 2480 in metal and walnut table top, 1961. Dimensions: W198 x D98 H72 cm Period: 1960s Condition: Very good and original
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1960s Vintage Florence Knoll Tables

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Metal

Florence Knoll Oval Burgundy Marble Dining Table, 1960s
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Antwerp, BE
Florence Knoll; Oval; Burgundy; Red; Purple; Marble; dining table; 1960; 1960s Design; Dining Area; Dining Room; United States; USA; Knoll Design; Knoll Furniture; Eilel Saarinen; Alvar Aalto; Walter Gropius; Marcel Breuer; Mies van der Rohe; Hans Knoll; An exceptional oval burgundy marble dining table...
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Florence Knoll Iron T-Bar Table with Formica Top
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
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An iron based coffee or side table with a white laminate top by Florence Knoll, 1960s. Good original condition. Original label on underside.
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Mid Century Florence Knoll Iron T Bar Kitchen Table
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Mid Century Florence Knoll Iron T bar kitchen table. The table is made out of CastIron and has a white Laminate top.
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Oval Dining Table by Florence Knoll for Knoll Inc / Knoll International 1960S
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Knoll Starburst Base Conference Table
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Oval Walnut and Chrome Dining Table by Florence Knoll
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
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1960’s walnut oval dining table by Florence Knoll for Knoll. In original condition with minor wear consistent with age. Retains knoll tag.
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Knoll Walnut Wood Table Desks from Florence Collection
By Florence Knoll
Located in IT
Knoll tables from Florence Collection. Two tables or desks, walnut wood top and chromed steel structure. Very good conditions, we have restored them in conservative way, re-polished. Giving their size they suit to be used as diplomatic desk or working table. Size: 100 x 205 cm, H 73 cm. They can be placed one next to each other to increase the working surface. Florence Knoll’s designs are reserved and cool, severe and angular, reflecting the objective perfectionism of the early 1960s. Based on dimensions from the archive, the 78" dining table can also be used as a spacious home office table...
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Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Florence Knoll Tables

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Large Florence Knoll Boat Shaped Dining Table
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Located in Waalwijk, NL
Florence Knoll for Florence Knoll International, large dining table, model 580 H, walnut, United States, 1963. Measures: 8.8 ft. Large dining or conference table with boat shaped to...
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Large Florence Knoll Boat Shaped Dining Table
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Florence Knoll Table with Chromed Iron Frame and Wooden Top, circa 1951
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Florence Knoll tables for sale on 1stDibs.

Florence Knoll tables are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Florence Knoll tables, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original tables by Florence Knoll were created in the mid-century modern style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider tables by Harvey Probber, Milo Baughman, and Drexel. Prices for Florence Knoll tables can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $875 and can go as high as $11,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,600.
Questions About Florence Knoll Tables
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Florence Knoll was an architect and furniture designer who greatly influenced mid-century design. She established the furniture company Knoll, Inc., which continues to manufacture pieces inspired by her designs. Knoll died on January 25, 2019, at the age of 101. Find a collection of Florence Knoll furniture on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    To pronounce Florence Knoll, say "FLO-rens Noll." The "K" in the designer's last name is silent. Florence Knoll's maiden name was Florence Marguerite Schust, pronounced "shusht." She changed her name after marrying Hans Knoll in 1946. Find a range of Florence Knoll furniture on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Florence Knoll lived in the U.S. throughout her life. She was born in Saginaw, Michigan, on May 24, 1917, and she died in Coral Gables, Florida, on January 25, 2019. From 1940 to 1941, she attended the Chicago Armour Institute in Chicago, Illinois. After that, she lived and worked in New York City for many years. On 1stDibs, find a range of Florence Knoll furniture.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Florence Knoll made a number of well-known furniture designs and founded the company Knoll, Inc. Some of her most acclaimed pieces include the Florence Knoll lounge chair, the Florence Knoll sofa, the Florence Knoll bench and the Florence Knoll settee. Shop a variety of Florence Knoll furniture on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024
    What Florence Knoll called the Womb chair after it was created is unknown. However, its creator Eero Saarinen stated that Knoll inspired him to make the piece by asking him to design the most comfortable chair ever, saying specifically that she wanted something that felt like "a basket full of pillows." Presented with the challenge, Saarinen went primal. What, the designer figured, better signifies the very essence of comfort than the womb? "It was designed on the theory that a great number of people have never really felt comfortable and secure since they left the womb,” the designer said of his chair. Find a selection of vintage Womb chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    No, Florence Knoll didn't usually put a number on her pieces. To identify Florence Knoll furniture, look for a tag or mark that bears the name "Knoll" or "Knoll, Inc." On chairs, the labels are usually on the bottom cushion. On 1stDibs, find a collection of expertly vetted Florence Knoll furniture.

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