Rare No. 33 Sofa by Florence Knoll
By Florence Knoll
Located in Munich, DE
Seldom seen 3-seat version of an iconic design by Florence Knoll.
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Velvet
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.
Rare No. 33 Sofa by Florence Knoll
By Florence Knoll
Located in Munich, DE
Seldom seen 3-seat version of an iconic design by Florence Knoll.
Velvet
$9,219
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
$6,900
H 30.71 in W 89.38 in D 30.71 in
Model 578 Sofa by Florence Knoll for Knoll International, 1950s
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Karis, Nyland
Elegant and architectural sofa designed by Florence Knoll, model 578, produced by Knoll International in the 1950s. The design reflects Knoll’s signature balance of clean lines and f...
Metal
$11,440Sale Price|20% Off
H 31.11 in W 88.59 in D 29.93 in
Sofa Model 67A by Florence Knoll for Knoll International, USA, 1950s
By Florence Knoll
Located in Berlin, DE
Sofa Model 67A by Florence Knoll for Knoll International the sofa is new upholstered in Knoll textile fabric.
Chrome
$4,461
H 31.5 in W 55.91 in D 29.93 in
Rare 'Model 66' 2-Seater Sofa by Florence Knoll for Knoll International, 1950s
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Antwerpen, VAN
Rare 2-seater sofa designed by Florence Knoll Basset around 1955. This armless version is called ‘Model 66’ or ‘Slipper’ and features a slim black lacquered base in steel with a funk...
Steel
Florence Knoll Black Leather Sofa
By Florence Knoll
Located in Pasadena, TX
A midcentury Knoll classic designed by Florence Knoll. This three person sofa features tufted black leather upholstery with chrome plated steel legs. Measures: 90". Recently restored.
Chrome
Sofa by Florence Knoll Bassett for Knoll
By Florence Knoll
Located in MADRID, ES
Sofa model ’67C’ designed by Florence Knoll and manufactured by Knoll International. Chromed steel frame and original fabric. Germany, 1950s. Length: 216cm Width: 65cm Height: 83cm ...
Steel
Knoll Florence Relaxed 3-Seater Sofa
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Miami, FL
Offered is a brand new, never used Knoll Florence Relaxed 3-Seater Sofa — an authentic original from the iconic Florence Knoll Collection. This piece reflects Florence Knoll’s design...
Metal, Stainless Steel, Chrome
Florence Knoll Parallel Bar Sofa
By Knoll, Florence 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
$8,500
H 29 in W 91 in D 32 in
Fabulous Florence Knoll Sofa Knoll International 3 Seater Sofa , Mid-Century
By Florence Knoll
Located in Pemberton, NJ
This vintage Florenc Knoll 3 seater chrome sofa is really an amazing piece of furniture that has it all. These sofas are extremely well made and incredibly comfortable. Florence Kn...
Chrome

Sofa by Ludvig Pontoppidan
By Ludvig Pontoppidan
Located in San Francisco, CA
An elegant two seat sofa by Danish cabinetmaker Ludvig Pontoppidan. The sofa features curved edges and sloped arms, mahogany legs and upholstered seat, back and sides.
Upholstery, Mahogany

Rare Sofa by Greta Grossman
By Sherman Bertram, Greta Magnusson Grossman
Located in San Francisco, CA
Rare Sofa by Greta Grossman for The Sherman Bertram Company. USA, 1952 A rare and collectible sofa designed by Greta Grossman. This sofa appeared in the May 1952 edition of the Arts & Architecture magazine. The metal frame is in original vintage condition. The sofa has been fully restored and upholstered in a luxurious ebony suri bouclé Sandra Jordan Prima Alpaca fabric from the Sonoma Coast...
Iron

Spirit Sofa by John Hutton
By John Hutton
Located in San Francisco, CA
A “spirit” sofa by John Hutton for Dohghia. Covered in a deep rust colored velvet with decorative velvet rosettes across the back. Retains Donghia label. ...
Upholstery, Wood
Blue Velvet Sofa by Massimo Iosa Ghini
By Massimo Iosa Ghini
Located in San Francisco, CA
A purple velvet Newton sofa by Massimo Iosa Ghini for Moroso.
Steel
Curved Two Piece Sofa by Carlo di Carli
Located in San Francisco, CA
A leather two piece sectional sofa by Carlo di Carli. When placed side by side, the pieces create a gently curved symmetrical sofa. Each section has ...
Brass