Florence Knoll Parallel Bar Sofa, Early Production, Restored, Excellent
View Similar Items
Florence Knoll Parallel Bar Sofa, Early Production, Restored, Excellent
About the Item
- Creator:Florence Knoll (Designer),Knoll (Manufacturer)
- Design:Florence Knoll SofaLounge Series
- Dimensions:Height: 29.5 in (74.93 cm)Width: 90 in (228.6 cm)Depth: 29.5 in (74.93 cm)Seat Height: 15.75 in (40.01 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Reupholstered. Fully restored and reupholstered. Few signs of wear. See photos for details of frame condition.
- Seller Location:Kansas City, MO
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1057010164941
Florence Knoll Sofa
Although Michigan native Florence Knoll (1917–2019) modestly described her furniture as “meat and potatoes” designs that were largely “fill-in pieces” for the Knoll Associates catalog, works like the Florence Knoll sofa demonstrate her artful expression of modern proportions. Introduced in 1954, the sofa was made during the American designer and entrepreneur’s direction of the Knoll Planning Unit, the company’s pioneering “design consultant service” that would define the look of the postwar workplace. The versatile Florence Knoll sofa, with its angular silhouette and tasteful mix of textures — from the colorful upholstery options to its exposed metal frame and legs — could as easily fit into the glass lobby of a skyscraper as the living room of a home.
Before she met her husband, Hans Knoll, with whom she built Knoll Associates into an international tastemaker of mid-century style, Florence studied under architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe at the Illinois Institute of Technology and worked for architects Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. That mentorship — from the major figures of the Bauhaus — had a significant impact on her approach to “total design,” in which each part of an interior was not just an object, it was a component of a comprehensive whole. Mies’s influence in particular is evident in the simplicity of the Florence Knoll sofa, its modern materials and restrained design channeling his “less is more” ethos. Its polished chrome steel legs and cushions with their clean lines further provided an architectural contrast to more sculptural pieces being created for Knoll Associates by designers such as Harry Bertoia, Eero Saarinen and Isamu Noguchi.
The numerous pieces Florence Knoll designed for the Knoll Associates furniture line were envisioned as design solutions for the changing needs in residential and office spaces. The Florence Knoll Lounge chair, also released in 1954, was a scaled-down companion to the sofa, so together they could offer flexible seating for a meeting space or entertaining area in the home.
Knoll may have designed her sofa because she needed a minimal piece as an element in the diverse interiors being filled with her company’s furnishings, but it’s now among the most celebrated of the company’s designs. Knoll, Inc. continues to produce the Florence Knoll sofa over half a century after it was introduced, and vintage models are still prized for their sturdy construction and timeless qualities.
Florence Knoll
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 polished, efficient design and skillfully realized office plans.
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. Her main work came as head of the Knoll Planning Group, designing custom office interiors for clients such as IBM and CBS. The furniture Florence 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.
- Wall-Mounted Rosewood Cabinets by Florence Knoll, Excellent Condition, PairBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Kansas City, MOTwo rosewood wall mount storage cabinets or credenzas designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll. Early production in Brazilian rosewood with whit...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood, Wood
- Sectional Sofa, Five-Seat, Two-Piece, Even Arm, off White, Restored, ExcellentBy Edward Wormley, Dunbar FurnitureLocated in Kansas City, MOSectional sofa in the style of Edward Wormley for Dunbar. Even arm, elegant design. Expertly restored and reupholstered in an off white HBF Textiles Merci bouclé. As you see in the p...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut
- Robert Venturi Grandma Sofa in the Original Tan / Taupe Leather for Knoll.By Robert Venturi, KnollLocated in Kansas City, MOA single Robert Venturi matching leather Grandma Sofa manufactured by Knoll, 1980s. Very good original condition. No tears or scuffs to the leather. Light signs of use. Minimal hone...Category
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Florence Knoll Coffee Table, White Laminate, Black Steel FrameBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Kansas City, MOSigned Florence Knoll cocktail table. Original white laminate and lacquered steel legs and frame. Very heavy duty construction and super durable.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsSteel
- Eastside Sofa by Ettore Sottsass for Knoll, 1980s, All Original, Ready to UseBy Knoll, Ettore SottsassLocated in Kansas City, MOEastside Sofa by Ettore Sottsass and manufactured by Knoll, 1980s. Original black leather and gray and black patterned fabric. Aluminum and steel base co...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Upholstery
- Carrara Marble and Chrome Coffee Table in the Style of Florence KnollBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Kansas City, MO36 inch square Carrara marble and chrome coffee table in the style of Florence Knoll. White marble with gray and beige veining. No chips or significant scratches. The chrome is free ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMarble, Chrome
- Florence Knoll Parallel Bar Sofa for KnollBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Philadelphia, PAFlorence Knoll Parallel Bar Armed Sofa. Newly reupholstered in a great weave fabric in shades of red, gray and purple. Very solid and subst...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsStainless Steel, Metal
- Parallel Bar Sofas By Florence KnollBy Florence KnollLocated in Sagaponack, NYA "parallel bar" frame sofa with a button tufted back on chromed steel legs.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel
$9,500 / item - Florence Knoll, Sofa "Parallel Bar" for Knoll, 1954 / 1960. Newly upholstered.By Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Paris, FRLovely Two seat sofa model 52 also known as ‘Parallel Bar’ designed by Florence Knoll in 1954 and produced by Knoll International from 1955 to 1973 This sofa is an edition from the v...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel, Chrome, Metal
- Mid century Florence Knoll Sofa #57 Parallel Bar System - needs upholsteryBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in BROOKLYN, NYVintage circa 1960 Midcentury Florence Knoll Parallel Bar System sofa Model #57 three-seat sofa with arms. Designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll Int. USA. Solid Steel frame and is in ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel
$2,520 Sale Price30% Off - off White Leather and Stainless Steel Parallel Bar Sofa by Florence KnollBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Palm Springs, CAOff white leather and brush stainless steel parallel bar sofa designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll. This came out of the Australian embassy and retains their label. This was reupholstered about 10 years ago. Was used only in winter home...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsStainless Steel
- 1958 Florence Knoll Parallel Bar Three Seat Sofa, Model 57 in Green FabricBy Knoll, Florence KnollLocated in Philadelphia, PAThis is an extremely early Florence Knoll ‘Parallel Bar’ Sofa, Model 57, designed by Florence Knoll in 1958. It is a rare example of Florence K...Category
Vintage 1950s American Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel