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.
$8,000 / set
Pair of Florence Knoll Leather Ottomans 1965
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Chicago, IL
Pair of Florence Knoll Model 1209PC Leather Ottomans, 1965 Reupholstered in Spinneybeck Leather A classic pair of Florence Knoll ottomans, model...
Steel
Collection Walter Knoll Black Leather Foot Stool 1970s Germany
By Bernd Münzebrock, Florence Knoll
Located in Den Haag, NL
Very nice Black Leather foot stool or ottoman . Design by bernd münzebrock for Collection Walter Knoll 1970s Germany. signed .
Leather
Pair of Florence Knoll Fabric and Steel Ottomans 1965
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Chicago, IL
Pair of Florence Knoll Model 1209PC Fabric and Steel Ottomans, 1965 Reupholstered in Spinneybeck Leather A classic pair of Florence Knoll ottomans...
Steel
Classic Florence Knoll for Knoll Modernist Walnut & Fabric Ottoman
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Buffalo, NY
Classic Florence Knoll for Knoll Modernist Walnut & Fabric Ottoman.. Amazing original condition,, Retains it's original Knoll wool fabric upholstery..Classic design..
Fabric, Walnut
Florence Knoll for Knoll International Brown Fabric Upholstery
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Queens, NY
American Mid-Century rectangular museum bench with a brown fabric upholstered square channeled seat resting on a square chrome tube frame. (FLORENCE KNO...
Metal, Chrome
$1,188 / item
H 15.95 in W 17.33 in D 17.33 in
Sculptural Pouf - Ottoman DROVA 4 in Woolland fabric for Contemporary Interior
By Dmitriy Kozinenko
Located in Kyiv, UA
Ottoman pouf Drova 4, a versatile and stylish addition to your living space. Handcrafted with precision in Ukraine, this cube pouf embodies the perfect fusio...
Steel
Brown Leather Pouf with Sheepskin Shearling Foot Stool
By Emily Barbara
Located in Dural, AU
What a great way to add a stylish addition to your living room comfort with this brown leather pouf. Featuring an Italian grained leather trimmed with Australian curly wool shearling...
Sheepskin
$2,500 / set
H 16 in W 16 in D 16 in
Pair of Finnish Eero Saarinen for Knoll International Swivel Tulip Stools
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Queens, NY
"Pair of Mid-Century Finnish ""Tulip"" stools from the American Pedestal Collection (Late 1950s) upholstered in white leather, standing on white enameled metal bases. (EERO SAARINEN ...
Metal
$2,081
H 8.67 in W 14.18 in D 13 in
Rare Antique Georgian circa 1800 Footstool with Angel Cherub Upholstery Fabric
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning original Georgian circa 1800 scroll footstool with Cherub upholstery What a find! This has to be the most sculptural and ornate little footstool I have ever seen, the lines are amazing from every angle. The upholstery depicts Cherubs floating around clouds We have cleaned waxed and polished it, a new hessian base cover has been fitted with antique...
Upholstery, Oak
Ralph Lauren 'Florence' Storage Ottoman in Buckthorn Paisley Fabric
By Ralph Lauren
Located in Rio Vista, CA
A dramatic and tailored Ralph Lauren Home "Florence" storage ottoman, upholstered in Ralph Lauren's "Buckthorn Paisley Port". The ottoman is made in Italy and finished with an oversi...
Brass
Florence Knoll for Knoll Mid-Century Modern Sofa in Fuchsia
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An iconic sofa designed by Florence Knoll and produced by Knoll in the early 1960s. It features a stainless steel frame with fuchsia tweed upholstery.
Stainless Steel
Barcelona Knoll Styled Leather Chrome Ottoman / Stool
By Knoll
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A very well crafted heavy chromed luxurious ottoman or stool with squared leather top cushion in the manner of Knoll and Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe. Perfect for extra seating or use as...
Chrome
$3,800 / set
H 16.5 in W 25 in D 23 in
Mies van der Rohe for Knoll Barcelona Stools in Chocolate Brown Leather
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Knoll
Located in Atlanta, GA
Iconic Pair of Barcelona Stools or Ottomans, designed by Mies van der Rohde for Knoll, American, circa 1980s. They are upholstered in their original chocolate brown leather which is ...
Chrome, Metal
Mid-Century Gelderland Extra Long Chocolate Brown Leather Ottoman
By Gelderland
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gelderland ottoman showcases the Dutch manufacturer's commitment to substantial, functional design. Crafted in chocolate brown leather with a generous cushioned top, the piece demons...
Leather
$6,475
H 16.5 in W 52 in D 30.5 in
Modernist Upholstered Ottoman in Authentic Zebra Hide w/ Ebonized Walnut Base
Located in New York, NY
This dramatic modernist ottoman was realized in the United States during the latter half of the 20th century. It features a solid and elegantly propo...
Zebra Hide
Florence Knoll for Knoll International Lounge Chair in Teak
By Florence Knoll, 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
$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
Rare Midcentury Ottoman or Stool for Knoll
By Knoll, Vincent Cafiero, Florence Knoll
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
For your consideration is this wonderful and seldom seen ottoman, bench or stool by Vincent Cafiero for knoll. Featuring a tufted seat in newly recovered Spinneybeck leather. Having ...
Aluminum, Chrome
Clean Lined Modern Grey Velvet and Chrome Knoll Bench
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Houston, TX
Elegant Florence Knoll modern bench freshly upholstered in a luxe grey velvet. A clean lined chrome base finishes the piece.
Steel, Chrome
Ivory White Tufted Leather Bench by Florence Knoll
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Utrecht, NL
Two-section tufted ivory white leather bench by Florence Knoll for Knoll International in excellent condition. An elegant and versatile piece.
Chrome, Steel