Warren Platner Grey Leather Easy Chair and Ottoman Set of Three, Knoll, 1966
About the Item
- Creator:Warren Platner (Designer),Knoll (Maker)
- Design:Platner Easy ChairPlatner Series
- Dimensions:Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)Width: 30 in (76.2 cm)Depth: 30 in (76.2 cm)Seat Height: 15.5 in (39.37 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 3
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4190323834002
Warren Platner
Though vintage Warren Platner chairs, sofas and interiors are icons of mid-century modernism, the architect and furniture designer took his stylistic inspiration from as far back as 18th-century France, once saying about his seminal collection for Knoll that his design intent was to evoke “the kind of decorative, gentle, graceful kind of design that appeared in period style like Louis XV.”
Indeed, the marriage of modern sensibility and classical grace is a marker of Platner’s style across furnishings and interiors — both genres in which he left an enduring legacy.
Born in 1919 in Baltimore, Maryland, Platner studied architecture at Cornell before cutting his teeth working for design icons like Eero Saarinen and Kevin Roche, eventually serving as head of interior design in the latter’s office. In 1965, Platner opened his own office, in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he continued to hone his particular brand of graceful modernism.
Knoll released the Platner Collection of seating and tables in 1966. (Originally designed in 1962, the suite took nearly four years of development to bring to life.)
The decorative bent-metal-and-glass pieces — an armchair, a dining table and more — make certain nods to the trademarks of his former employers, but also to the shapes of historic European furniture. The sculptural elegance of his line recalls Saarinen’s iconic Tulip collection, which includes armchairs and dining tables, while his materiality aligns with Roche’s cutting-edge use of glass and metal for the headquarters of the Ford Foundation in New York.
Many of Platner’s Knoll pieces would go on to find homes in a certain fabled locale: the Windows on the World restaurant at the original World Trade Center, whose interiors Platner was tapped to outfit in the mid-1970s. Upon the opening of the restaurant in 1976, New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger dubbed its style “sensuous modernism” — an apt tagline for Platner’s oeuvre as a whole.
Platner died in 2006 at the age of 86. His furniture is still produced by Knoll, and original examples — along with idiosyncratic custom works he created for interior design clients — are coveted by collectors today.
Find vintage Warren Platner furniture on 1stDibs.
Knoll
As a company that produced many of the most famous and iconic furniture designs of the 20th century, Knoll was a chief influence in the rise of modern design in the United States. Led by Florence Knoll, the firm would draw stellar talents such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Eero Saarinen into its compass. Their work would help change the face of the American home and office.
The company was formed in 1938 by the German immigrant Hans Knoll. He first worked with his fellow ex-pat, the Danish designer Jens Risom, who created furniture with flowing lines made of wood. While Risom served in World War II, in 1943 Knoll met his future wife, Florence Schust. She had studied and worked with eminent emigré leaders of the Bauhaus, including Mies, Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. She won Knoll over with Bauhaus notions of industrial arts, and an aesthetic that featured flat and tubular metal frames and angular forms. When Hans died in a car crash in 1955, Florence Knoll was appointed head of the company. It was as much through her holistic approach to design — a core division of the firm was dedicated to planning office systems — as Knoll's mid-century modern furnishings themselves that she brought about the sleek and efficient transformation of the American workplace.
Today, classic Knoll furnishings remain staples of modern design collections and decor. A history of modern design is written in pieces such as the elegant Barcelona chair — created by Mies and Lilly Reich — Saarinen’s pedestal Tulip chair, Breuer’s tubular steel Wassily lounge chair and the grid-patterned Diamond chair by Harry Bertoia.
As you can see from the collection of these designs and other vintage Knoll dining chairs, sofas and tables on 1stDibs, this manufacturer's offerings have become timeless emblems of the progressive spirit and sleek sophistication of the best of modernism.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Brooklyn, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Warren Platner Gray Leather 1705 Easy Chair and Ottoman Set of Two, Knoll, 1966By Warren Platner, KnollLocated in Brooklyn, NYWarren platner gray leather easy chair and ottoman set of two, Knoll, 1966. Knoll Models 1705L and 1705Y. See final two images for proper dimensions...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel, Nickel
- Warren Platner 1705Y Easy Ottoman, Gray Leather and Nickel, Knoll, 1966By Knoll, Warren PlatnerLocated in Brooklyn, NYWarren Platner 1705Y Easy Ottoman, Gray Leather and Nickel, Knoll, 1966 Custom gray leather (original); original nickel finish. Ottoman retains original clear acrylic feet. The maste...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel, Nickel
- Tommi Parzinger Originals Modern Armchair and Ottoman, Club Chair, 1958By Tommi Parzinger, Parzinger OriginalsLocated in Brooklyn, NYTommi Parzinger lounge chair and ottoman, ebonized frame, charcoal grey upholstery. Copy of the original purchased receipt included from Parzinger Originals Inc., dated January 15, 1958 Dimensions: 27" H x 28 1/2" W x 31" D and 15" H x 28" L x 16" Tommi Parzinger was born in Munich and received professional design training there at the school of art and craft, Kunstgewerbeschule. He began his career as a freelance designer of ceramics, wallpapers, lighting, textiles, furniture. He traveled and worked in Germany and Austria, becoming familiar with the modern movements of the day including the Wiener Werkstätte, the Jugendstijl, and the Bauhaus. As a professional designer in Germany he created porcelain for the German firm KPM, as well as posters, textiles, interiors and wallpapers. In 1932 he came to the United Stated as a prize for winning a poster contest for North German Lloyd...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsTextile
- Florence Knoll Lounge Chair, Knoll International, Cream White, USA.By Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Brooklyn, NYFlorence Knoll Lounge Chair by Florence Knoll, 1954. Warmed through color and texture, the Florence Knoll Lounge Chair is a scaled-down translation of the rhythm and proportions of ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsTextile
- Poul Kjaerlohm for Fritz Hansen PK 31 Easy Armchair in Ivory White Leather 1958By Poul Kjærholm, Fritz HansenLocated in Brooklyn, NYFritz Hansen PK 31 armchair ivory white leather, Scandinavian Modern Icon. Poul Kjaerholm, 1958 Matt chromed spring steel, leather, down Made in Den...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Edward Wormley Black Leather Janus Lounge Chair, Model 5701, Dunbar, 1957By Edward Wormley, Dunbar FurnitureLocated in Brooklyn, NYEdward Wormley black leather Janus lounge ch air, Model 5701, Dunbar, 1957 ash, leather; 33.75 H × 30.5 W × 34 D in; Stitched manufacturer's mark to decking ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Ash
- Warren Platner Easy Lounge Chair and OttomanBy Knoll, Warren PlatnerLocated in Brooklyn, NYLuxurious model 1705 easy lounge chair and ottoman, designed by Warren Platner for Knoll. Zinc steel wire rods are bent and welded to form a graceful...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsZinc
- Pair of Warren Platner Easy Lounge Chairs and OttomanBy Warren Platner, KnollLocated in Brooklyn, NYA pair of Model 1705 easy chairs with ottoman, designed by Warren Platner for Knoll. Zinc steel wire rods are bent and welded to form a graceful, sculptural Silhouette. A generously ...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsZinc
- Warren Platner Bronze Easy Chair and OttomanBy Warren Platner, KnollLocated in Brooklyn, NYLuxurious Model 1705 Easy Chair and Ottoman in the sought after bronze finish, designed by Warren Platner for Knoll. Steel wire rods are bent an...Category
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBronze
- Warren Platner Easy Lounge Chair for Knoll 1966 (Old Edition)By Warren Platner, KnollLocated in Argelato, BOVintage Warren Platner Easy Chair (Model 1705; aka Easy Lounge Chair) It is one of the most iconic and representative models of the famous American architect and designer Warren Pl...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pair of Warren Platner Lounge Chairs for KnollBy Knoll, Warren PlatnerLocated in Paris, FRPair of Warren Platner lounge chairs for Knoll.Category
Vintage 1960s American Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Warren Platner for Knoll Mid Century Easy Lounge Chair and OttomanBy Warren Platner, KnollLocated in Countryside, ILWarren Platner for Knoll Mid Century Easy Lounge Chair and Ottoman The chair measures: 41 wide x 35 deep x 39 high, with a seat height of 16 inches and arm height/chair clearance of...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Chrome