Double Sided Desk in Black Lacquered by Florence Knoll, 1960s
View Similar Items
Double Sided Desk in Black Lacquered by Florence Knoll, 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:Florence Knoll (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.53 in (75 cm)Width: 72.05 in (183 cm)Depth: 38.19 in (97 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Brussels, BE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2265337796912
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.
- Mid-Century Modern Desk by Florence Knoll for Knoll international, 1970sBy Florence KnollLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern Desk by Florence Knoll for Knoll international Biography : Born to a baker, and orphaned at age twelve, Florence Schust grew up Saginaw, Michigan. Schust demons...Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMarble
- Joseph Heusgens Unique Double-Sided Desk, BelgiumLocated in Brussels, BEJoseph Heusgens Architect (1916 - ) unique double-sided desk with patented system, with plans, patent papers and correspondence.Category
Early 20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Oval Dining Table by Florence Knoll, 1960sBy Florence KnollLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern Oval Dining Table by Florence Knoll, 1960s.Category
Vintage 1960s American Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Desk by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960sLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern Desk by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960sCategory
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Wooden Desk by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960sBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern wooden desk by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960s 4 Drawers.Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Wooden Desk by Jean Gillon, Brazil, 1960sBy Jean GillonLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern Wooden Desk by Jean Gillon, Brazil, 1960sCategory
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Florence Knoll, Model 2480 Oval Table Desk, 1960sBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Eindhoven, Noord BrabantThis particular Florence Knoll oval table desk is designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll in 1961. This rare edition with a silver lacquere...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsSteel
$2,094 Sale Price66% Off - Knoll by Florence Knoll Ebonized Oak Mini DeskBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in London, GBOriginally designed by Florence Knoll in 1954, the Mini Desk is part of the High Table range manufactured by Knoll. Constructed from a slimline polished chrome frame, the desk has a...Category
2010s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Vintage Walnut Executive Desk by Florence KnollBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in North Hollywood, CAAmazing vintage executive desk designed by architect and furniture designer Florence Knoll in the United States, circa 1960s. This iconic design...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsSteel, Chrome
- Florence Knoll Model 17 DeskBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Saint Paul, MNAlongside the model 75 stool, this desk was part of Florence Knoll's first collection of designs. The louvre drawers follows the same design language used in a variety of casegoods s...Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMaple
- Knoll International Executive Desk S 872 Florence KnollBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Köln, NRWWriting desk by Florence Knoll model 872 Steel frame chromed, top wood lacquered white with two drawers. Florence Marguerite Knoll Basset was one of the most renowned US design...Category
Mid-20th Century European Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Classic Midcentury Walnut and Chrome Florence Knoll Desk KnollBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Buffalo, NYClassic midcentury walnut and chrome Florence Knoll desk features richly grained walnut top chromed steel frame, pencil drawer and file drawer. Retains early Knoll label.Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsChrome
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
10 Trailblazing Female Designers
From pioneering visionaries to contemporary talents, get to know some of the most important women in design.
Remembering Design Visionary Florence Knoll Bassett (1917-2019)
A loving look back at the life and career of a doyenne of mid-century-modern style, who died last week at the age of 101.