Early production Florence Knoll Desk, Classic Modernist design, Knoll New York
About the Item
- Creator:Florence Knoll (Designer),Knoll (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 60 in (152.4 cm)Depth: 30 in (76.2 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Buffalo, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1062428967552
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.
Knoll
As a company that produced many of the most famous and iconic furniture designs of the 20th century, Knoll was a chief influence in the rise of modern design in the United States. Led by Florence Knoll, the firm would draw stellar talents such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Eero Saarinen into its compass. Their work would help change the face of the American home and office.
The company was formed in 1938 by the German immigrant Hans Knoll. He first worked with his fellow ex-pat, the Danish designer Jens Risom, who created furniture with flowing lines made of wood. While Risom served in World War II, in 1943 Knoll met his future wife, Florence Schust. She had studied and worked with eminent emigré leaders of the Bauhaus, including Mies, Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. She won Knoll over with Bauhaus notions of industrial arts, and an aesthetic that featured flat and tubular metal frames and angular forms. When Hans died in a car crash in 1955, Florence Knoll was appointed head of the company. It was as much through her holistic approach to design — a core division of the firm was dedicated to planning office systems — as Knoll's mid-century modern furnishings themselves that she brought about the sleek and efficient transformation of the American workplace.
Today, classic Knoll furnishings remain staples of modern design collections and decor. A history of modern design is written in pieces such as the elegant Barcelona chair — created by Mies and Lilly Reich — Saarinen’s pedestal Tulip chair, Breuer’s tubular steel Wassily lounge chair and the grid-patterned Diamond chair by Harry Bertoia.
As you can see from the collection of these designs and other vintage Knoll dining chairs, sofas and tables on 1stDibs, this manufacturer's offerings have become timeless emblems of the progressive spirit and sleek sophistication of the best of modernism.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Buffalo, NY
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- 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
- Early Production Florence Knoll End or Occasional Table Knoll, New YorkBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Buffalo, NYClassic modernist architectural design white laminate round top solid polished steel "x" base, retains early Knoll label. Florence Knoll Bassett (born May 24, 1917) is an American...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Early Production Eero Saarinen Tulip Dining Chairs Knoll, New YorkBy Knoll, Eero SaarinenLocated in Buffalo, NYauthentic, early production set of Eero Saarinen for Knoll Tulip Chairs, signed . The chairs feature upholstered off white stripped wool blend seat pads, original soft white finish, lightweight yet sturdy construction, original early Knoll "K" 320 Park Ave.paper labels under the cushions, date them to the early 1960s,,One chair has minor chip (paint) to base (see photo)..Hand delivery avail to New York City or anywhere en route from bUFFALO ny Knoll: "With the Pedestal Collection, Eero Saarinen resolved the "ugly, confusing, unrestful world" underneath tables and chairs. The collection is a defining accomplishment of modern design and a timeless addition to your home—a true classic. Pair Tulip Chairs with a Saarinen Table...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Florence Knoll 2-Seater Sofa, Classic Mid Century Modern, KnollBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Buffalo, NYVintage Florence Knoll 2 seater 'lounge series' sofa with original 2nd generation upholstery in a coarse woven off-white mottled wool fabric. This sofa d...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Loveseats
MaterialsChrome
- Early Production Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Chair / Classic Modern DesignBy Knoll, Eero SaarinenLocated in Buffalo, NYEarly Production Eero Saarinen for Knoll Womb Chair / Classic Mid Century Modern Design,, Chair in "as is" original condition.. Perfect candidate for a re-do.. Can be fully ,professi...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsIron
- Early George Nelson Desk / Return, Child's Desk, Modernist, Herman MillerBy George Nelson, Herman MillerLocated in Buffalo, NYEarly George Nelson desk / return, child's desk, Modernist, Herman Miller, Retains original Herman Miller foil label, 4 drawers, pencil dividers, steel frame, minor pitting (lower right side bottom). Original designed for larger desk, return, typewriter desk...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsAluminum, Steel
- Early Vintage Florence Knoll Dining Table or DeskBy Knoll, Florence KnollLocated in Chicago, ILEarly vintage Florence Knoll dining table. Model 301 Literature: Knoll Furniture 1938-1960, Rouland and Rouland, pg 105 Comes with 1 (18") leaf. Measures: 60" wide without le...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWood
- 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 Knoll, Florence 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
- 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
- Restored Rare Early Florence Knoll Model 17 Louvered Maple Desk Signed MadisonBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Philadelphia, PAThis rare desk was designed in the 1950s by Florence Knoll with a simplistic profile that has proven to be timeless! Of solid maple construction, it features tapered dowel legs and a...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMaple
- 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
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.