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.
Large three-seater sofa, by Florence Knoll, Knoll International, circa 1970
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Paris, FR
Large three-seater sofa, chrome steel frame, new foam padding for the upholstered seat and back cushions, new off-white rustic wool cover. Designed by Florence Knoll in 1954. Lenght:...
Steel, Chrome
Florence Knoll 2-Seater Sofa, Classic Mid Century Modern, Knoll
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage Florence Knoll 2 seater 'lounge series' sofa with original 2nd generation upholstery in a coarse woven off-white mottled wool fabric. This sofa d...
Chrome
$3,300
H 29.93 in W 88.59 in D 27.56 in
Florence Knoll for Knoll International Sofa in Blue Upholstery and Steel
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Florence Knoll for Knoll International, sofa, model '67A', steel, fabric, United States, design 1958, production 1960s/70s This sofa model 67A is designed by Florence Knoll for Knol...
Steel
Florence Knoll for Knoll International Lounge Chair in Teak
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Florence Knoll for Knoll International, lounge chair, model '51', teak, fabric, United States, 1955 This slipper chair model 51 is designed by Florence Knoll. The teak frame of the chair is sleek in form. The angled seat is placed upon the squared-off frame. Maximum seating comfort is ensured by the wide seat and tilted backrest. Florence Knoll (1917-) was trained as an architect and had a sense of style from a very young age. In 1936 she met Alvar Aalto and was trained by Marcel Breuer, Walter Gropius and 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 Knoll 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...
Fabric, Teak
$9,070
H 29.14 in W 96.07 in D 30.71 in
Florence Knoll Sofa Knoll International 3 Seater Knoll International Model 26
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Berlin, BE
Authentic mid-century collectible with documented provenance: This spacious Florence Knoll Model 26-3KC sofa was produced in the 1960s and upholstered in an exceptionally high-qualit...
Steel, Chrome
$8,894
H 32.29 in W 94.49 in D 31.5 in
Wonderful No. 26 Sofa by Florence Knoll for Knoll International
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Munich, DE
Rare no.26 by florence knoll in showroom condition. Hardly used only re-upholstered and used one time for a photo shooting and very exclusive model redone with very cosy fabric in wa...
Metal
$2,984
H 31.89 in W 28.35 in D 30.71 in
Florence Knoll leather lounge chair 65 for Knoll International
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Langemark-Poelkapelle, BE
Florence Knoll leather lounge chair 65 for Knoll International. Produced from 1958-1975! This series has exceptional seating comfort and a timelessly modern look. Dxhxl: 78x81x72 cm...
Chrome
Florence Knoll two-seater sofa in mustard yellow leather, 1970
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Langemark-Poelkapelle, BE
Bring timeless elegance into your interior with this iconic vintage two-seater sofa designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll International in 1954. Manufactured in the early 1970s under ...
Chrome
$6,000
H 30 in W 84 in D 31 in
1950s Florence Knoll Parallel Bar System Three Seat Sofa for Reupholstery
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an early Florence Knoll Parallel Bar System Sofa, Model 53, initially designed by Florence Knoll in 1955. This piece was produced in the USA at around the same time. It is a ...
Steel
$10,521
H 29.53 in W 90.56 in D 32.29 in
Florence Knoll - Vintage Sofa Knoll International, Mid-Century Modern 1954
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Rosendahl, DE
Vintage sofa by Florence Knoll, designed in 1954 for Knoll International – a true icon of modernist furniture and architectural elegance. With its clean lines, balanced proportions, ...
Steel, Chrome
$6,800Sale Price|20% Off
H 29.5 in W 91 in D 32 in
Florence Knoll for Knoll International Sofa c 1950/60's
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in New York, NY
Incredible Mid Century classic sofa, designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll International ( Knoll Park Ave ). This iconic sofa displays all the sophistication, quality and beauty expec...
Chrome
Knoll Florence Relaxed Two-Seater Sofa
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Miami, FL
Designed by Florence Knoll in 1954, this iconic two-seater reflects her architectural approach to furniture—restrained, geometric, and timeless. With softened proportions and deeper ...
Metal, Stainless Steel, Chrome
Florence Knoll Parallel Bar Sofa
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Chicago, IL
Florence Knoll Parallel Bar Sofa. This was reupholstered at one point in time in an off white faux leather vinyl. There are a couple areas of damage to ...
Steel
Florence Knoll Sofa White leather
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Ghedi, IT
Presenting a timeless Florence Knoll sofa, an icon of mid-century modern design, upholstered in pristine white leather. This elegant piece, in goode condition, showcases Knoll’s sign...
Leather
Iconic Two Seats Padded Fabric Sofa by Florence Knoll, U.S.A. 1954
By Florence Knoll
Located in Brussels, BE
Elegant setee designed by Florence Knoll. Beige off-white fabric. Chromed base. Excellent vintage condition. U.S.A. 1954.
Metal
Florence Knoll Sofa 1968
By Florence Knoll
Located in Bruxelles, BE
3 seats sofa designed by Florence Knoll for knoll international and made under license by Decoene cie in Kortrijk on 1968. It completely reulphostered by professional and he find th...
Metal
Florence Knoll, Sofa Model 67A for Knoll, circa 1960
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Paris, FR
Three seat sofa model 67A designed by Florence Knoll and produced by Knoll International, circa 1960. This sofa was manufactured only from 1958 to 1973. Newly re-upholstered with a...
Steel
Sold
H 29.93 in W 29.93 in D 55.91 in
Florence Knoll Parallel Bar System Settee, 1970s, New Upholstery
By Florence Knoll
Located in Brussels, BE
Florence Knoll parallel bar system settee, 1970s - New upholstery.
Chrome
Pristine Florence Knoll Sofa for Knoll International
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pristine Florence Knoll Sofa for Knoll International. Upholstered in gorgeous Sina Pearson fabric. Florence Knoll was a pioneering designer and entrepreneur who created the modern...
Stainless Steel
Two, Two-Seat Sofa by Florence Knoll International Modell 27 BC
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Telgte, DE
Two, two-seat sofa by Florence Knoll International Modell 27 BC Sofa "27 BC" by Florence Knoll, 1949 This seating group is an early original. It consists of two two-seat sofa mode...
Metal