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Warren Platner Sofas

American, 1919-2006

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.

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Creator: Warren Platner
Warren Platner Bronze Wire Sofa for Knoll International, c 1966
By Warren Platner, Knoll
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An original Warren Platner for Knoll International sofa, designed in 1966 and produced in the late 1960s–1970s. Part of Platner’s iconic collection that transformed industrial steel rods into sculptural furniture forms, this rare loveseat / sofa features the elusive bronze wire frame, far less common than the nickel-plated versions, and no longer in production. The curved architectural silhouette is formed from hundreds of vertical steel rods, welded with horizontal rings to create a structure that is at once airy and monumental. The base is finished in the original bronze patina, lending warmth and depth that distinguishes it from later reproductions. Knoll ceased production of the Platner sofa...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Warren Platner Sofas

Materials

Bronze

Warren Platner Walnut and Leather Floating Case Sofa for Lehigh Leopold, c. 1970
By Lehigh Leopold, Warren Platner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This exceptionally rare and highly sought-after collectors piece (with celebrity provenance) is a Warren Platner Executive Leather Case Sofa designed for Lehigh Leopold in circa 1970, and features a floating Walnut case with deep brown tufted leather upholstery and cushions, over a polished steel pedestal base. When comparing to the Milo Baughman case sofa, which is very popular and in-demand, this Warren Platner sofa...
Category

1970s American Modern Vintage Warren Platner Sofas

Materials

Chrome

C. 1975 Warren Platner for CI Designs Three-Seat Sofa in Oak and Brown Leather
By Warren Platner
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an important three-seater sofa, designed by renowned architect and furniture designer Warren Platner. The piece was part of a series that Platner designed in the mid-70s for ...
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1970s American Modern Vintage Warren Platner Sofas

Materials

Metal

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Side Chair by Warren Platner for Knoll International
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Warren Platner for Knoll Wire Stool
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Florence Knoll 2-Seater Sofa, Classic Mid Century Modern, Knoll
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Warren Platner Lounge Chairs for Knoll
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Warren Platner for Knoll Original Bronze Easy Lounge Chair in Knoll Boucle Pearl
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Luxurious Model 1705 Easy Chair in the highly sought-after bronze finish, designed by Warren Platner for Knoll. The sculptural silhouette is achieved through gracefully bent and weld...
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Warren Platner for Knoll Easy Chair
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Warren Platner for Knoll Easy Chair
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Vintage Warren Platner for Knoll Classic Armchair
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Warren Platner for Knoll Bronze Finish Lounge Chair, 1960's
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Previously Available Items
Pair of Warren Platner Sofas in Teakwood for Lehigh Leopold, 1970
By Warren Platner, Lehigh Leopold
Located in Chicago, IL
Pair of Warren Platner Sofas in Teakwood for Lehigh Leopold, 1970 This pair of Warren Platner sofas features a beautifully crafted oiled teakwood frame c...
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American Midcentury Sofa Done by W. Platner
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Warren Platner (June 18, 1919 – April 17, 2006) was an American architect and interior designer. Platner produced a furniture collection that has proved to be a continuing icon of 1960s modernism. He is also famed with designing several prominent interiors in New York City, including headquarters offices for the Ford Foundation building and the original Windows on the World restaurant, atop the World Trade Center. Sofa is made out of zebra wood. Upholstered with black cow hide...
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Platner Collection for Knoll Early Production Settee in Bronzed Copper, 1966
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Rare, early production settee designed by Warren Platner from The Platner Collection in 1966 for Knoll International. Constructed from solid copper rods with an applied oil-rubbed br...
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Warren Platner Rosewood Case Sofa, 1970
By Warren Platner
Located in Chicago, IL
Warren platner case sofa for "Lehigh Leopold" 1970. Rosewood case with original cream/white woven tweed boule, sitting on stainless steel pedestal base.
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Warren Platner Rosewood Case Sofa, 1970
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Warren Platner Knoll Sofa with Brown & Orange Upholstery
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Warren Platner for Knoll Bronze Sofa
By Warren Platner
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Seldom seen Warren Platner for Knoll bronze finish sofa. Produced for a limited time in the 1960s and early 1970s. This sofa was bought in 1972. Sofa need...
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1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Warren Platner Sofas

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Bronze

American Midcentury Sofa Done by W. Platner
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Located in Houston, TX
Warren Platner (June 18, 1919 – April 17, 2006) was an American architect and interior designer. Platner produced a furniture collection that has proved to be a continuing icon of 19...
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Warren Platner Settee for Knoll
By Knoll, Warren Platner
Located in Amarillo, TX
Warren Platner Settee Knoll USA , 1966 enameled steel, upholstery 67 w x 31 d x 32 h inches Literature: Knoll: A Modernist Universe, Lutz, ppg. 74-75 Settee is upholster...
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1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Warren Platner Sofas

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Steel

Warren Platner Settee for Knoll
Warren Platner Settee for Knoll
H 32 in W 67 in D 31 in
Warren Platner Settee
By Knoll, Warren Platner
Located in Chicago, IL
Settee sofa by Warren Platner for Knoll. Nickel frame with original deep red mohair upholstery.
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1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Warren Platner Sofas

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Nickel

Warren Platner Settee
Warren Platner Settee
H 30 in W 68 in D 30 in
Rare Settee Sofa by Warren Platner for Knoll International
By Warren Platner
Located in Utrecht, NL
Beautiful settee, sofa from 1968 by Warren Platner for Knoll International. Since late 1970's no longer in production due to manufacture complexi...
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1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Warren Platner Sofas

Warren Platner Settee
By Knoll, Warren Platner
Located in Chicago, IL
Rare settee by Warren Platner for Knoll. Nickel frame. New mohair upholstery.
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Warren Platner Sofas

Materials

Nickel

Warren Platner Settee
Warren Platner Settee
H 31 in W 68 in D 30 in
Loveseat by Warren Platner For Knoll
By Warren Platner
Located in Hanover, MA
Very rare settee / sofa by Warren Platner from his collection for Knoll, circa 1966. Only 50 of these were produced. Working in the firms of Eero Saarinen and Kevin Roche in th...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Warren Platner Sofas

Materials

Steel

Warren Platner sofas for sale on 1stDibs.

Warren Platner sofas 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 Warren Platner sofas, although gold editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original sofas by Warren Platner were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the mid-20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider sofas by Jack Lenor Larsen, Lawrence Peabody, and Harvey Probber. Prices for Warren Platner sofas can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $28,000 and can go as high as $36,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $32,000.

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