Mid century Florence Knoll Black & White Cabinet Credenza leather pulls
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid Century Florence knoll Black & White Credenza. Beautiful practical credenza for living or office space.
Chrome
Early Florence Knoll Model 116 Maple Credenza - Black Grasscloth Sliding Doors
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Decatur, GA
Early Florence Knoll Model 116 Maple Credenza with Black Grasscloth Sliding Doors, 1950s A beautifully preserved early Florence Knoll Model 116 credenza, produced in the 1950s, exem...
Metal, Iron
Mid-Century Modern Walnut and Black Lacquer Credenza by Florence Knoll
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in North Hollywood, CA
An exceptional mid-century modern credenza designed by legendary architect and furniture designer Florence Knoll for Knoll Associates Inc., circa 1960s.
Steel, Chrome
$1,760Sale Price|20% Off
Mid century Black Lacquer Florence Knoll office Cabinet Credenza leather pulls
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Knoll all black small credenza - Beautiful practical credenza for living or office space. Has (2) front Sliding doors with leather pulls that reveal two adjustable shelves, one on ea...
Leather, Oak, Lacquer
1950s Florence Knoll Credenza in Black with Original Leather Pulls Model 541
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a 1950s Sliding Door Credenza in Black and White, Model 541, designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll Inc. circa 1949.
Steel
Freestanding Black & Marble Credenza by Florence Knoll for Knoll, 1961
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Antwerpen, VAN
Stunning and ultra high-end sideboard designed by Florence Knoll Basset in 1961. This example is finished in black lacquered wood with four doors and metal handles. Inside we find th...
Steel
Beautiful Midcentury Marquina Marble Top Credenza Black Lacquer Florence knoll
By Florence Knoll
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Beautiful and sophisticated Florence Knoll low credenza in black lacquer and a Nero Marquina Shiny Marble Top.
Marble, Chrome
Florence Knoll Style Credenza with Matching File Cabinet by by Giacomo Buzzitta
By Stow Davis
Located in Dallas, TX
Beautiful credenza with matching file cabinet designed by Giacomo Buzzittan for Stow Davis. The matching set is constructed of Carrara marble, black lacquer with chromed steel legs a...
Marble, Steel
Florence Knoll Large Black and White Lacquered Credenza
By Florence Knoll
Located in Dallas, TX
A very nice sideboard from Florence Knoll edited and signed by Knoll International, circa 1950s.
Unavailable
H 27.25 in W 69 in D 17.75 in
Credenza with Cane Doors and Black Laminate Case by Florence Knoll
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Dorchester, MA
This sideboard exemplifies Florence Knoll's classic clean-lined aesthetic. The black laminate case sits on a steel base and features handsome cane sliding doors with leather pulls. I...
Steel
Unavailable
H 24 in W 46.5 in D 19 in
Black Vintage Mid-Century Modern Credenza in the Style of Florence Knoll
By Florence Knoll
Located in Hudson, NY
This small office four door credenza is equipped with two cabinets on each side. The base is made of solid chrome-plated steel and the case is black painted and lacquered walnut. Th...
Steel
Unavailable
H 25.5 in W 74.75 in D 18 in
Florence Knoll Large Credenza, Ebonized Oak, Polished Arabescato & Gold Base
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in East Greenville, PA
Perfectly proportioned and immaculately detailed, the iconic Florence Knoll low credenza works as well in the dining room as it does in the office. This credenza features four storag...
Marble, Steel
Unavailable
H 25.5 in W 37.5 in D 18 in
Florence Knoll Small Credenza, Ebonized Oak, Polished Arabescato & Gold Base
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in East Greenville, PA
Perfectly proportioned and immaculately detailed, the iconic Florence Knoll low credenza works as well in the dining room as it does in the office. This credenza features two storage...
Marble, Steel
Unavailable
H 25.5 in W 74.75 in D 18 in
Florence Knoll Large Credenza, Ebonized Oak, Polished Arabescato & Rose Gold
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in East Greenville, PA
Perfectly proportioned and immaculately detailed, the iconic Florence Knoll low credenza works as well in the dining room as it does in the office. This credenza features four storag...
Marble, Gold Plate, Steel
Florence Knoll Credenza
By Florence Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Florence Knoll original black finish credenza. Use either on the wall or with legs, original cleat is still installed for ease of mounting on the wall.
Wood
Florence Knoll Smaller Walnut Credenza
By Florence Knoll
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A smaller sized Knoll credenza with double sliding doors and leather pulls, inside there are two adjustable shelves in oak all sitting on black metal legs, manufactured by Knoll.
Exceptional Florence Knoll Marble-Top Rosewood Credenza
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Kansas City, MO
Beautiful matched grain Brazilian rosewood Florence Knoll credenza with white and gray marble top. This is an exceptional example of this design. Very good to excellent original cond...
Belgian Black Marble, Chrome
Florence Knoll Rosewood and Carrera Marble Credenza
By Florence Knoll
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A dark Brazilian rosewood credenza with white Carrara marble top, four doors, adjustable shelves, chrome pulls, bottom frame and legs. Manufactured by Knoll International.
Sold
H 25.6 in W 74.81 in D 17.72 in
Florence Knoll Black Lacquered and Marble Top on Chrome Base Credenza, 1960s
By Florence Knoll
Located in Brussels, BE
Florence Knoll black lacquered and marble top on chrome base credenza, 1960s.
Marble
Sold
H 24.5 in W 69.75 in D 19 in
Florence Knoll Low Credenza or Media Cabinet in Walnut, Chrome, Black Enamel Top
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Kansas City, MO
Florence Knoll credenza or media cabinet. Very versatile storage cabinet.
Chrome
Knoll Art Metal Credenza
By Florence Knoll
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A walnut topped credenza with two sliding doors with aluminum pulls containing four drawers and two adjustable shelves sitting on square chromed bar legs and frame. The body of the c...
Sold
H 29.75 in W 75.5 in D 18.5 in
1950s Florence Knoll Black Lacquer Cabinet with Maple Interior Model No. 541
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Dallas, TX
Early Florence Knoll model 541 credenza with black case, antique white doors and maple interior.
Steel
Sold
H 25.6 in W 74.81 in D 18.12 in
Knoll International Sideboard / Credenza by Florence Knoll Sideboard black Ash
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Berlin, BE
Florence Knoll describes her designs as "stopgaps" in design projects. "I needed the piece for a commission and it wasn't there, so I designed it." This sideboard / credenza is desi...
Steel
Credenza in the Style of George Nelson With Black and Grey Sliders
By Florence Knoll
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Credenza with black and grey sliders on steel legs. Reminiscent of George Nelson designs. To the right of cabinet there are 2 drawers and a filing cabinet. The credenza measure 60.2...
Steel
FLORENCE KNOLL
Located in Chicago, IL
Custom Florence Knoll Credenza, With rare black Vitrolite top, book matched teak veneer, four door adjustable shelves, with early chrome pulls.
Stainless Steel, Chrome
Florence Knoll Credenza
Located in San Francisco, CA
Florence Knoll designed credenza with black walnut case and white lacquered doors and fitted interior.
Walnut
Florence Knoll Credenza
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in San Mateo, CA
Classic Florence Knoll credenza in black lacquered oak with a marble top.
Marble, Chrome
Early Florence Knoll Walnut and Black Credenza
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Atlanta, GA
Clean lined walnut and black lacquered credenza, designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll, circa 1950s.
Metal
Florence Knoll Marble-Top Credenza
By Florence Knoll
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Attractive Mid-Century cabinet by Knoll with white marble top. Dark teak wood with accenting polished chrome base and handles. Five drawers and two-door cabinet, with adjustable shel...
Early Florence Knoll Cane Front Black Laminate Credenza
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Southampton, NJ
A stunning credenza having beautiful cue fronts and black laminate case with oak interior designed by Florence Knoll.
Stainless Steel
Sold
H 25.5 in W 75 in D 18 in
Mid-Century Modern Florence Knoll for Knoll with Black Marble Top Credenza
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A sleek modern classic cabinet designed by Florence Knoll and produced by Knoll. It features a dark mahogany case, stainless steel legs and a black marble top.
Marble, Stainless Steel
Sold
H 25.5 in W 75 in D 18 in
Mid-Century Modern Florence Knoll for Knoll with Black Marble Top Credenza
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A sleek modern classic cabinet designed by Florence Knoll and produced by Knoll. It features a dark mahogany case, stainless steel legs and a black marble top.
Marble, Stainless Steel
Florence Knoll Credenza with White Carrera Marble in Black Oak
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, a Florence Knoll credenza with white Carrera marble in black oak.
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Florence Knoll Black Lacquer Credenza with Grasscloth
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An early sideboard cabinet (Model No.116) designed by Florence Knoll in the 1950s. It features a black lacquer case, grass cloth doors, wrought iron legs, and saddle leather pulls. C...
Grasscloth, Wood
Sold
H 29 in W 72 in D 18 in
Mid century Black Lacquer Florence Knoll office Cabinet Credenza leather pulls
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Knoll all black credenza - Beautiful practical credenza for living or office space. Has (4) front Sliding doors with leather pulls that reveal two file cabinets, drawers and adjustab...
Chrome
Sold
H 28.5 in W 71 in D 18 in
Mid century Black Lacquer Florence Knoll office Cabinet Credenza leather pulls
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Beautiful practical credenza for living or office space. Sliding doors with leather pulls reveal two file cabinets, drawers and adjustable shelves. Perfect for your storage needs. Ca...
Chrome
Sold
H 27.5 in W 48 in D 17.75 in
Early Florence Knoll Credenza, Black Lacquered Case with Cane Front Doors
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Kansas City, MO
Beautiful early design by Florence Knoll for Knoll. Cabinet features sliding doors with leather pulls revealing two adjustable shelves on one side and one adjustable shelf on the oth...
Steel
Sold
H 26 in W 76 in D 20.5 in
Fabulous Florence Knoll Black Oak Credenza Cabinet in White Carrera Marble 1960s
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Modern elegance Florence Knoll credenza cabinet sideboard with white Carrara marble in black oak circa 1960s by Knoll.
Wood
Florence Knoll - Art Metal Credenza with Sliding Doors
By Art Metal Co., Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in South Charleston, WV
By Florence Knoll, produced circa 1959-1965. Measures: 27.5" tall, 60" wide and 18" deep.
Steel
Knoll Black Executive Credenza with Rosewood Top
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in South Charleston, WV
Designed by Florence Knoll in 1961 and manufactured by Knoll International.
Chrome
Knoll Black Executive Credenza with Rosewood Top
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in South Charleston, WV
Designed by Florence Knoll in 1961 and manufactured by Knoll International.
Chrome
Florence Knoll Credenza with Dynamic Color Scheme in Lacquer
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in South Charleston, WV
Produced by Florence Knoll at Knoll International, this credenza was made specifically for IBM and so we date it to the 1950s.
Black and White Knoll Credenza
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Chicago, IL
Florence Knoll credenza, walnut case with black and white lacquered doors, leather tabs as pulls, inside case four compartments: Four drawers, file drawer, other side two compartment...
Chrome
Black and White Knoll Credenza
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Chicago, IL
Florence Knoll credenza, walnut case with black and white lacquered doors, leather tabs as pulls, inside case four compartments: Four drawers, file drawer, other side two compartment...
Chrome
Sold
H 26 in W 76.5 in D 20 in
Beautiful Midcentury Abstract Marble Top Credenza Black Lacquer by Stow Davis
By Florence Knoll, Stow Davis
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Sleek and ready for use for your home or office as a cabinet or console for your storage needs. Style of Florence Knoll Drawers have functional locks with (1) key.
Marble, Chrome
Florence Knoll Credenza
By Florence Knoll
Located in Atlanta, GA
Walnut credenza with six black lacquered sliding doors, six steel legs, five drawers, three adjustable shelves, one pull-out shelf and leather door pulls by Florence Knoll, circa 1960.
Florence Knoll Credenza, Knoll Associates
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Florence Knoll credenza with black laminate case, chrome frame, leather pulls and grass cloth doors.
Stainless Steel
Florence Knoll Rosewood Credenza with Carrara Marble Top
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Houston, TX
Stunning Florence Knoll credenza in rare rosewood with a Carrara marble top and a finished back that can float in a room. Chrome is in excellent condition. Very excellent condition f...
Vintage Knoll Credenza with Black Top
By Florence Knoll
Located in San Francisco, CA
Vintage Knoll walnut credenza with black leather pulls 1952-1978 Walnut frame and doors with black laminate top, natural oak shelving inside for each quad.
Steel
Black Art Metal Inc Walnut Credenza for Knoll
By Florence Knoll
Located in Loughborough, Leicester
A true classic. This is an original Art Metal version of the Knoll Credenza sideboard finished in beautiful black metal and coupled with a walnut veneered top. The Knoll credenza gra...
Metal
Early Florence Knoll Walnut Credenza on Black Chrome Base
Located in New York, NY
Early Florence Knoll walnut credenza on black chrome base with leather pulls-1950's.
Walnut, Leather
Modernist Marble-Top Credenza After Florence Knoll
Located in Chicago, IL
Modernist marble-top credenza after Florence Knoll in excellent condition having for doors with shelves and interior drawers.
Carrara Marble, Aluminum
Florence Knoll walnut credenza with leather handles
Located in New York, NY
Florence Knoll walnut credenza with black leather handles and stainless steel legs-1950's.
Stainless Steel
Sold
H 25.6 in W 37.41 in D 17.72 in
Florence Knoll Sideboard "Credenza 95" White Gloss with Black Marble Top
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Huddersfield, GB
Two doors Florence knoll sideboard "Credenza 95" white gloss with black marble top When Florence knoll revolutionized private office design by replacing the typical executive des...
Marble, Chrome, Steel
Florence Knoll Sideboard
By Florence Knoll
Located in Grenoble, FR
Florence Knoll black walnut credenza with 2 rafia sliding doors and brown leather tags.
Walnut, Leather, Cane
Florence Knoll Credenza by Knoll
Located in Queens, NY
Florence Knoll Black & White Credenza by Knoll
Wood
Early Florence Knoll rattan and black laminate credenza
Located in New York, NY
Early Florence Knoll credenza. Case is black lacquer, on stainless steel frame, with built in drawers of varying size.
Stainless Steel
Florence Knoll Large Black and White Lacquered Credenza, circa 1960s
By Florence Knoll
Located in Dallas, TX
A very nice large credenza from Florence Knoll signed by Knoll International, circa 1960s. this model is with four sliding doors with 4 original leather pulls.
Wood
Sold
H 25.5 in W 74.75 in D 18 in
Florence Knoll Sideboard "Credenza 190" White Gloss with Black Marble Top
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Huddersfield, GB
Florence Knoll sideboard "Credenza 190" white gloss with black marble top.
Marble, Steel
Credenza with Cane Doors and Black Laminate Case by Florence Knoll
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Dorchester, MA
This sideboard exemplifies Florence Knoll's classic clean-lined aesthetic. The black laminate case sits on a steel base and features handsome cane sliding doors with leather pulls.
Steel
Credenza in Walnut and White Lacquer by Florence Knoll
By Florence Knoll
Located in Hadley, MA
Florence Knoll designed credenza with American black walnut case and white lacquered doors and fitted interior.
Credenza with Cane Doors and Black Laminate Case by Florence Knoll
By Florence Knoll
Located in Dorchester, MA
We have three more of these Florence Knoll credenzas with different interior configurations.
Steel
$1,650 / item
H 16.1 in Dm 11.5 in
'Plissé White Edition' Pleated Textile Table Lamp by Folkform for Örsjö
By Örsjö Industri AB
Located in Los Angeles, CA
'Plissé White Edition' pleated textile table lamp by Folkform for Örsjö. This unique table lamp was awarded “Lighting of the Year 2022” by Residence Magazine Sweden, who called it “...
Textile
"Perf" Sideboard in Varnished Steel by Moroso for Diesel
By Moroso, Diesel Creative Team 1
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"Perf" is a credenza, designed by Diesel Creative Team and manufactured by Moroso, in varnished steel black mat, with doors in varnished steel available in these colors: copper, blac...
Steel
$4,400Sale Price|50% Off
H 34 in W 207 in D 68 in
Hans Weiss King Bed Headboard with Nightstands, Walnut & Brass, 1960
By Hans Weiss
Located in Hanover, MA
BG SUMMER SALE Custom L shaped headboard cabinet wall with floating nightstands and bookshelves designed by Hans Weiss in 1960 for the master bedroom of an Upper West Side apartment...
Brass
$3,539 / item
H 16.93 in W 46.46 in D 14.18 in
Kai Kristiansen Upholstered Bench in Fumed Oak and Mohair
By Kai Kristiansen
Located in London, England
Kai Kristiansen, a key figure in the Danish Modern movement, designed the Entre Series in 1956 as a modular collection of bedside cabinets, benches, and chests. Combining Danish desi...
Velvet, Oak
The 'Matisse' Etagere
Located in London, GB
The 'Matisse' wrought iron side table. A hand made and patinated wrought iron etagere with whimsical Matisse style cut-out decoration. Made to order based on a 1960s original. Avail...
Wrought Iron
$3,990 / item
H 15.75 in W 74.81 in D 29.14 in
Mustard Velvet Daybed with V-Shaped Beechwood Base, Model V
By Dusty Deco
Located in Los Angeles, CA
DD V daybed is an exclusive daybed made by hand in Bosnia and Herzegovina by skilled craftsmen with long experience in wood and upholstery. Both frame and the characteristic V-shaped...
Fabric, Beech, Velvet
Gilbert Rohde Art Deco Bookshelf by Herman Miller Refinished
By Gilbert Rohde, Herman Miller
Located in Atlanta, GA
Clean Lined Art Deco Bookcase, designed by Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller, American, circa 1930s. Part of Rohde's modular East Indian Laurel Group. This piece is currently being ref...
Metal
$2,300 / item
H 20.5 in W 14 in D 67 in
HIFI Vinyl LP Storage Bench / Record Shelf Mid-Century Modern Walnut Pete Deeble
By Pete Deeble
Located in Long Beach, CA
This bench is the ideal solution to having records sitting all over your house and no place to sit. This is an original design, but with a strong influence of Mid Century Danish Mode...
Walnut
George Nelson Black Enameled Mahogany 4 Drawer Dresser, 1950's
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Bainbridge, NY
George Nelson for Herman Miller "Basic Series" Four Drawer Black Dresser, circa 1955. Featuring a rectangular paneled Mahogany Cabinet, Dresser, four drawers, circular Lucite handles...
Mahogany, Lucite
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
H 18 in W 78 in D 14 in
Mid century Jack Cartwright for Founders Long wall mounted Bar desk credenza
By Jack Cartwright, Founders Furniture Company
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid century Jack Cartwright for Founders Long wall mounted Bar desk credenza. Left side has 2 cabinet doors and the right side has a fold down bar or desk with white laminate surface...
Faux Leather, Walnut, Lacquer
$2,995
H 29.75 in W 72.25 in D 19 in
Modern to Scandinavian Modern Black Painted Oak Waterfall Style Buffet Credenza
Located in Topeka, KS
Well, what have we here? A marvelous credenza? Yes! Maybe it’s a beautiful buffet? Yes! Or a fabulous sideboard? Yes! What about an incredible cabinet? ALSO… YES!!! This marvelous vi...
Oak, Paint
Petite Classic Knoll Credenza in Walnut and Cream Ca' 1950's
By Florence Knoll
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A Classic Florence Knoll for Knoll petite scale (36"W) credenza. Walnut with nice rich patina, cream colored, original fronts and leather tabs. Vintage circa 1950s with original Knol...
Wood
$3,776
H 25.6 in W 37.41 in D 17.92 in
Florence Knoll aluminium, metal and marble cabinet, Knoll International, 1960s
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
Chest of drawers in wood, metal, and brushed aluminum with a marble top, produced by Knoll, designed by Florence Knoll, 1960s A long life, great masters, and well-deserved, lasting ...
Marble, Metal, Aluminum
$2,832
H 32.29 in W 18.51 in D 47.25 in
Mid-Century Black Cabinet with Graphic Brutalist Doors by Defour Belgium, 1970s
Located in Antwerpen, Antwerp
Small sideboard / cabinet produced in the 70s by Defour, Belgium. The front is decorated with a graphical op-art pattern carved into the wood. The cabinet has two shelves inside. Sta...
Wood
$2,450
H 18.25 in W 78 in D 17.75 in
1960s John Lewis Mod Floating Credenza, Orange Plexiglass Sliding Doors
By John Lewis
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Floating credenza produced by John Lewis in the UK during the 1960s combines Mod design principles with functional storage. White lacquered frame provides a clean backdrop for vibran...
Metal, Enamel
Bertu Modern Credenza, Iris Black Modern Credenza, Oak
By Bertu Furniture
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Bertu Modern Credenza, Iris Black Modern Credenza, Oak. This Iris Modern Credenza in Black is made in the heart of Ohio with locally sourced wood. Each credenza is handmade with s...
Oak
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.
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by celebrated manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
Antique and vintage credenzas can add an understated touch of grace to your home. These long and sophisticated cabinet-style pieces of furniture can serve a variety of purposes, and they look great too.
In Italy, the credenza was originally a small side table used in religious services. Appropriately, credere in Italian means “to believe.” Credenzas were a place to not only set the food ready for meals, they were also a place to test and taste prepared food for poison before a dish was served to a member of the ruling class. Later, credenza was used to describe a type of versatile narrow side table, typically used for serving food in the home. In form, a credenza has much in common with a sideboard — in fact, the terms credenza and sideboard are used almost interchangeably today.
Credenzas usually have short legs or no legs at all, and can feature drawers and cabinets. And all kinds of iterations of the credenza have seen the light of day over the years, from ornately carved walnut credenzas originating in 16th-century Tuscany to the wealth of Art Deco credenzas — with their polished surfaces and geometric patterns — to the array of innovative modernist interpretations that American furniture maker Milo Baughman created for Directional and Thayer Coggin.
The credenza’s blend of style and functionality led to its widespread use in the 20th century. Mid-century modern credenzas are particularly popular — take a look at Danish furniture designer Arne Vodder’s classic Model 29, for instance, with its reversible sliding doors and elegant drawer pulls. Hans Wegner, another Danish modernist, produced strikingly minimalist credenzas in the 1950s and ’60s, as did influential American designer Florence Knoll. Designers continue to explore new and exciting ways to update this long-loved furnishing.
Owing to its versatility and familiar low-profile form, the credenza remains popular in contemporary homes. Unlike many larger case pieces, credenzas can be placed under windows and in irregularly shaped rooms, such as foyers and entryways. This renders it a useful storage solution. In living rooms, for example, a credenza can be a sleek media console topped with plants and the rare art monographs you’ve been planning to show off. In homes with open floor plans, a credenza can help define multiple living spaces, making it ideal for loft apartments.
Browse a variety of antique and vintage credenzas for sale on 1stDibs to find the perfect fit for your home today.