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.
H 30.31 in W 23.62 in D 31.5 in
Florence Knoll Aluminum Lounge Chair
By Florence Knoll
Located in Chicago, IL
Interesting lounge chair in the style of Florence Knoll. Aluminum Construction with Allen bolt connection. Looks to be original Gerard black and white checkerboard fabric. An uncommon chair...
Aluminum
H 29 in W 32.5 in D 32 in
Mid-Century Pair of Tufted Chrome Base Florence Knoll Club Chairs
By Florence Knoll
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pair of original Knoll club chairs with polished chrome bases designed by Florence Knoll, circa 1960s. Vintage condition with Knoll Associates Park Ave labels intact. Please confirm...
Upholstery
H 24 in W 30 in D 30 in
Lounge Chair by Florence Knoll for Knoll
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A lounge chair formed by an armless button-tufted upholstered seat resting on a matte steel, rectilinear architectural frame.
Steel
H 28 in W 25.5 in D 32 in
Rare Pair of Aluminum Lounge Chairs by Hannah/Morrison for Knoll
By Knoll
Located in Atlanta, GA
An absolutely stunning pair of the iconic lounge chair designed by Bruce Hannah and Andrew Morrison for Knoll, circa 1970s. Aluminum with polished stainless steel accents. This rare ...
Aluminum, Stainless Steel
H 32.68 in W 32.29 in D 34.65 in
Florence Knoll Grey Tuxedo Lounge Chair
By Florence Knoll
Located in Rochester, England
A rare, original “Florence Knoll” lounge chair from the world renown furniture house of Knoll Studio, dressed in a sublime, tactile woven-wool fabric, and with polished chrome framew...
Wool
H 32 in W 32 in D 31.25 in
Pr. Mid Century Lounge Chairs designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll International
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in New York, NY
Pair of iconic mid century club chairs designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll Associates ( Park Ave ). These chairs are in very good, clean, ready to use condition, they were reuphol...
Steel
H 29.93 in W 23.63 in D 30.71 in
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
H 29.53 in W 29.53 in D 29.53 in
Pair of Johannes Spalt Armchairs Lounge Chairs Wittmann Black Leather Wood 1960s
By Johannes Spalt, Wittmann, Florence Knoll
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
A pair of armchairs with tufted black leather and teak wood legs designed by Prof. Johannes Spalt for Wittmann, Austria, manufactured in midcentury, circa 1960. The thin legs create ...
Wood, Leather, Teak
H 31.25 in W 32.25 in D 32.25 in
1990's Florence Knoll Leather Lounge Club Chairs Pair
By Florence Knoll
Located in Stafford, TX
These Knoll club chairs from the 1990s feature the brand's signature minimalist, modern design. Upholstered in beige leather, they have a luxurious feel with tufted backs and seats, ...
Leather
H 31.25 in W 32.25 in D 32.25 in
2012 Pair of Florence Knoll Lounge Chairs with Custom Leather
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a classic pair of lounge chairs with arms designed by Florence Knoll and produced by Knoll in 2012. The chairs were custom ordered for the executive suite of a corporate offi...
Steel
1 Charles Pfister for Knoll Lounge Chair
By Charles Pfister, Knoll
Located in Pasadena, TX
Charles Pfister for Knoll Lounge Chairs Designed by Pfister and manufactured by Knoll, these cube lounge chairs are a classic design that ...
Fabric
Pair Of White Fiberglass Lounge Chairs
Located in Pasadena, TX
A pair of mid century modern lounge chairs made of white fiberglass with navy blue cushions. There is a slight difference in the shades of white. As...
Fabric, Fiberglass
Florence Knoll Style Lounge Chair
Located in Pasadena, TX
A mid-century lounge chair with Alexander Girard style striped upholstery and chrome base.
Chrome
Pair of Warren Platner Lounge Chairs by Knoll Furniture
By Knoll
Located in Pasadena, TX
Set of 5 Warren Platner classic lounge chairs. These chairs were manufactured by Knoll. They're in nice original condition with a Pine green fabric that's original to the chairs. We ...
Steel
One Vintage Jens Risom for Knoll Lounge Chairs
By Knoll, Jens Risom
Located in Pasadena, TX
One mid-century modern armless lounge chair designed by Jens Risom for Knoll originally in 1946. This early design has a hard maple frame with new linen upholstery.
Fabric, Maple
Pair of John Stuart Barrel Lounge Chairs
By John Stuart
Located in Pasadena, TX
Pair of vintage midcentury lounge chairs by John Stuart Inc. Low and deep with white upholstery and casters. Reupholstery recommended.
Fabric
