Florence Knoll Furniture
American, 1917-2019
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.
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Creator: Florence Knoll
1950s Florence Knoll T Angle Square Dining Table with Black Laminate/Formica Top
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a T Angle dining table, Model 309, designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll International in 1952. This particular example dates to the 1950s. It features a square top of black l...
Category
1950s American Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel
Florence Knoll Two-Door Cabinet in Teak-Wood
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Chicago, IL
Florence Knoll two-door cabinet in Teakwood, Finished on back. Features Notch pulls with chrome details, Four file drawers and Four pencil drawers, and chrome-plated adjustable feet....
Category
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Chrome
$3,680 Sale Price
20% Off
Pair of Mid Century Modern Slipper Chairs designed by Florence Knoll
By Florence Knoll
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a pair of Mid Century Modern Slipper Chairs designed by Florence Knoll. They feature sleek, straight lines, creating the feeling of simplicity and elega...
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Chrome
Florence Knoll stool / bench in leather for Knoll Associates
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Amarillo, TX
Florence Knoll
stool
Knoll Associates
USA 1984
leather, steel
17 h × 18 w × 18 d inches
Vintage piece.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Stainless Steel
Florence Knoll International 4-seater sofa leather
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Telgte, DE
Exceptional, balanced design
Manufacturer: Knoll International
Design: Florence Knoll
Florence Knoll transferred the principles of the architecture of her time to the design of fur...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel
$12,576 / item
1960s Florence Knoll Dining Table
By Florence Knoll
Located in New York, NY
1960s Florence Knoll Dining Table with an oval shaped marble top. The marble is supported by a wooden oval top on a solid chrome-plated steel base with 4 splayed legs. Can also be u...
Category
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Marble, Steel, Chrome
Pair of Florence Knoll for Knoll International Black
Silver Bar Stools
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Mid-Century American bar stools standing on black metal, rectangular legs anchored by a silver metal stretcher with seat upholstered in a neutral tone, salt and pepper weave ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Fabric
Free-Standing Lacquered Credenza Designed by Florence Knoll, 1950s
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Dallas, TX
When Florence Knoll revolutionized private office design by replacing the typical executive desk with a table desk, she needed a place for all the filing and storage that had traditi...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Leather, Wood
Original Midcentury Florence Knoll Sideboard 1950 Ahorn Knoll Intenational
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten ein wunderschönes und sehr seltenes Sideboard aus den 1950er Jahren von Knoll International zum Verkauf an. Das von Florence Knoll entworfene Sideboard verfügt über zwei K...
Category
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Metal
Florence Knoll Coffee Table, White Laminate, Black Steel Frame
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Kansas City, MO
Signed Florence Knoll cocktail table. Original white laminate and lacquered steel legs and frame. Very heavy duty construction and super durable.
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel
1970s Florence Knoll Coffee / End Table in Chromed Steel and White Marble 36"
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a square coffee or end table, originally designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll in 1954. This particular example was produced in the United States during the 1970s. The table f...
Category
1970s American Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Marble, Steel
1960s Florence Knoll Double Pedestal Executive Desk Chrome Wood Fully Refinished
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an original double pedestal desk, model 1503, initially designed by Florence Knoll in 1956. This example was manufactured by Knoll Associates in the early 1960s. It is constr...
Category
1960s American Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel
Florence Knoll T-Angle White Laminate and Black Steel Coffee Table, 1960s
By Florence Knoll
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Florence Knoll T-angle coffee table. Excellent condition.
2-piece white laminate top with black steel legs and frame.
Bears the original Knoll label, circa 1960s.
Measures: 15 1/2...
Category
1960s Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel
1960s Florence Knoll T Angle 24 inch End / Side Table w/ Formica Top, Model 304
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Florence Knoll T Angle End Table, Model 304, originally designed in 1952. It features a square top with a walnut woodgrain laminate (formica) surface, and has black enamele...
Category
1960s American Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel
Lounge Chair Model 31 by Florence Knoll Bassett for Knoll International Set of 2
By Florence Knoll
Located in Kelkheim (Taunus), HE
Florence Marguerite Knoll Basset was one of the most renowned American designers and architects of the 20th century. In 1954 she designed the model 31 armchair, which has developed i...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Metal
$3,535 Sale Price
40% Off
Florence Knoll leather lounge chair 65 for Knoll International
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Langemark-Poelkapelle, BE
Florence Knoll leather lounge chair 65 for Knoll International.
Produced from 1958-1975!
This series has exceptional seating comfort and a timelessly modern look.
Dxhxl: 78x81x72 cm...
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Chrome
Florence Knoll Rosewood Table or Bench
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Highland, IN
This stunning long piece by Florence Knoll can serve as either a coffee table or a bench. A base of brushed steel supports a segmented top of rich, bookmatched rosewood. Florence's r...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel
1951 Florence Knoll Associates 42 inch Parallel Bar Series Coffee Table Walnut
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a very rare Parallel Bar Series coffee table produced by Knoll Associates and designed by Florence Knoll. This table was specified with a solid walnut top (a very ...
Category
1950s American Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Metal
Pair of black marble lamps with sliding shade by F.Knoll, Knoll Intl, circa 1960
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Paris, FR
Pair of lamps with a cylindrical base formed by a succession of black marble disks veined with white, from which rises a chrome-plated shaft supporting a white lacquered metal cap wi...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Marble, Metal, Steel, Chrome
Set of custom ordered Florence Knoll Benches
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Amarillo, TX
Florence Knoll
Pair of benches
USA 1954
leather, steel
Measures: 48 W x 19.5 D x 16.75 H inches
Pair of custom-sized Florence Knoll benches in a custom flat steel finish wit...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel
$9,000 / set
Early T Angle Onyx Coffee Table / Bench by Florence Knoll # 332 for Knoll
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Buffalo, NY
A very early and rare segmented topped onyx coffee table or bench with satin black T angled metal base . This architectural styled piece would fit into almost any interior room or en...
Category
1950s American Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Onyx, Iron
C. 1958 Pair of Florence Knoll 84 ULB Lounge Arm Chairs in Fabric and Wood
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an unusual pair of Florence Knoll Armchairs, model 84 ULB, initially designed by Florence Knoll in 1956. We date this pair to C. 1958, and the listed price includes the pair....
Category
1950s American Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel
Florence Knoll Grey Tuxedo Lounge Chair
By Florence Knoll
Located in Basildon, London
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...
Category
2010s American Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Wool
Model 405 Parallel Bar Coffee Table by Florence Knoll for Knoll Associates
By Florence Knoll
Located in Winnipeg, MB
A rare architectural steel and glass model 405 ‘Parallel Bar’ coffee table designed in 1955 by Florence Knoll, for Knoll. A classic mid-century sta...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel
Mid-Century Modern Desk by Florence Knoll for Knoll international, 1970s
By Florence Knoll
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-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
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Marble
1960s Florence Knoll Cane and Walnut Full-Size Headboard
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a model 740 WP headboard designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll International in 1956. This particular example dates to the 1960s. The piece is constructed of walnut, and it ha...
Category
1960s American Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Cane, Walnut
Early Production Florence Knoll End or Occasional Table Knoll, New York
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Buffalo, NY
Classic 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
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Stainless Steel
Early edition T-angle/T-bar coffee table by Florence Knolll for De Coene, 1950s
By De Coene Frères, Florence Knoll
Located in amstelveen, NL
Square T Angle coffee table in marble and black lacquered metal by Florence Knoll. Made by (license holder for Knoll) De Coene Belgium in the 1950s. The feet are T-shaped, giving the...
Category
1950s Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Carrara Marble, Metal
Pair of Florence Knoll Side Tables
By Florence Knoll
Located in Dallas, TX
A pair of early brushed steel tables with ebonized wood tops. Designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll.
Category
1950s Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel
$2,800 / set
1960s Florence Knoll Executive Desk in Walnut and Chrome
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Small Executive Desk, model 502B-BWM, designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll Associates in 1952. This example dates to the 1960s. The doors, sides, and back are constructed w...
Category
1960s American Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel, Chrome
2019 Florence Knoll End Table 29 x 29 with Glass Top and Satin Frame
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a glass and satin chrome end table, model 2515T, designed by Florence Knoll and produced by Knoll Studio. It was produced circa 2019 and was rarely used.
Florence Knoll app...
Category
2010s American Modern Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel
Knoll Studio “Florence Knoll” Lounge Chair Armchair in Grey Wool
By Florence Knoll
Located in Barrowford, GB
On offer on this occasion is a rare, original “Florence Knoll” Lounge Chair, from the world renown furniture house of Knoll Studio, dressed in a sublime, tactile woven-wool fabric, a...
Category
2010s German Modern Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Metal
Florence Knoll Square Walnut Coffee Table
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designed by Florence Knoll in the 1950s, this simple coffee table has four square legs of chromed steel. The square tabletop sits flush with the frame and is made of a walnut veneer....
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Chrome
1960s Florence Knoll Chrome and Green Mohair Bench 36x18 2x Available
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Florence Knoll Bench, designed for Knoll in 1954. This particular example dates to the 1960s. The design incorporates a simple chromed steel frame with a padded seat that i...
Category
1960s American Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel
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, ...
Category
1990s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Leather
$4,275 Sale Price / set
55% Off
American Mid-Century Gray Wood 4-Piece Living Room Set
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Queens, NY
SET of 4 American Mid-Century gray wood upholstered living room / salon set resting on teak legs & base with seat & back cushions (att: FLORENCE KNOLL)(loveseat, 3 armchairs)
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Teak
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...
Category
2010s American Modern Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel
C. 2016 Florence Knoll Coffee Table with Custom Granite Top 24x24 Model 2510T
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Florence Knoll Coffee Table, Model 2510T, originally designed in 1956 by Florence Knoll for Knoll Associates. This particular piece dates to 2016. The table’s base is for...
Category
2010s American Modern Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Marble, Steel
Rare executive sideboard by Florence Knoll in rose aurore marble, 1960s
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Antwerpen, VAN
Very rare sideboard from Florence Knol’s executive series. This one features a rosé aurore marble top instead of the grey Carrara marble. Florence Knoll was a pioneering American arc...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Marble
1950 Florence Knoll RARE T Angle Coffee Table No. 115 in Black
Walnut Laminate
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a super rare, limited production T Angle coffee table, produced by Knoll Associates. This is an early and unique Florence Knoll design, which is noted in the "Knol...
Category
1950s American Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Laminate, Walnut
1960s Florence Knoll Stacking Stool / Side Table Model 75 in Laminate
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Florence Knoll Stacking Stool Side Table, Model 75, designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll in 1950. This particular example dates to the 1960s. ...
Category
1960s American Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Iron
1960s Florence Knoll T-Angle Square Coffee Table with Faux Walnut Laminate Top
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Florence Knoll T-Angle Coffee Table, initially designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll Associates in 1952. This example dates to the 1960s. It features a square top with a bro...
Category
1960s American Modern Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Steel
Tabouret modèle "75" de Florence knoll pour Knoll International, 1950
By Florence Knoll
Located in SAINT-SEVER, FR
Tabouret modèle "75" de Florence knoll pour Knoll International
Florence KNOLL (1917-2019). Rationnel tabouret modèle "75" à assise circulaire en bois mélaminé noir, piétement tripode en tiges de métal cintrées laquées noir. Édition Knoll 1950...
Category
1950s Vintage Florence Knoll Furniture
Materials
Metal
$812 Sale Price
20% Off
Florence Knoll furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Florence Knoll furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Florence Knoll furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Florence Knoll were created in the mid-century modern style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Adrian Pearsall, Harvey Probber, and Craft Associates. Prices for Florence Knoll furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $600 and can go as high as $30,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,800.
Creators Similar to Florence Knoll
Questions About Florence Knoll Furniture
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Florence Knoll made a number of well-known furniture designs and founded the company Knoll, Inc. Some of her most acclaimed pieces include the Florence Knoll lounge chair, the Florence Knoll sofa, the Florence Knoll bench and the Florence Knoll settee. Shop a variety of Florence Knoll furniture on 1stDibs.
- Who is Florence Knoll?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Florence Knoll was an architect and furniture designer who greatly influenced mid-century design. She established the furniture company Knoll, Inc., which continues to manufacture pieces inspired by her designs. Knoll died on January 25, 2019, at the age of 101. Find a collection of Florence Knoll furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022To pronounce Florence Knoll, say "FLO-rens Noll." The "K" in the designer's last name is silent. Florence Knoll's maiden name was Florence Marguerite Schust, pronounced "shusht." She changed her name after marrying Hans Knoll in 1946. Find a range of Florence Knoll furniture on 1stDibs.
- Where does Florence Knoll live?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Florence Knoll lived in the U.S. throughout her life. She was born in Saginaw, Michigan, on May 24, 1917, and she died in Coral Gables, Florida, on January 25, 2019. From 1940 to 1941, she attended the Chicago Armour Institute in Chicago, Illinois. After that, she lived and worked in New York City for many years. On 1stDibs, find a range of Florence Knoll furniture.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024What Florence Knoll called the Womb chair after it was created is unknown. However, its creator Eero Saarinen stated that Knoll inspired him to make the piece by asking him to design the most comfortable chair ever, saying specifically that she wanted something that felt like "a basket full of pillows." Presented with the challenge, Saarinen went primal. What, the designer figured, better signifies the very essence of comfort than the womb? "It was designed on the theory that a great number of people have never really felt comfortable and secure since they left the womb,” the designer said of his chair. Find a selection of vintage Womb chairs on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022No, Florence Knoll didn't usually put a number on her pieces. To identify Florence Knoll furniture, look for a tag or mark that bears the name "Knoll" or "Knoll, Inc." On chairs, the labels are usually on the bottom cushion. On 1stDibs, find a collection of expertly vetted Florence Knoll furniture.
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