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Florence Knoll, American Furniture Icon

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Florence Knoll, American Furniture Icon

20+ Curated Mid-Century Modern Home Listings Across the Country 📍

Oct 16, 2023
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Florence Knoll, American Furniture Icon

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Tasteful, thoughtful, and timeless; the same adjectives serve well to describe both Florence Knoll’s work and the woman herself. The American architect, designer, and entrepreneur lived to be 101 years old and was the first woman to receive the Gold Medal for Industrial Design from the American Institute of Architects. Her legacy lives on today in homes, offices, and museums across the World.

Florence Knoll, design icon and winner the National Medal of Arts.

Born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1917, Florence showed early interest and aptitude for the arts. She would go on to be mentored by and associate with the very best creatives of the era. While studying at the Cranbrook Institute of Art, her work caught the attention of the program’s president, Eliel Saarinen. Florence developed a close relationship with the Saarinen family, even traveling to Finland with them in the summers. She would, famously, go on to collaborate with Eliel’s son Eero on a variety projects, including the iconic tulip chair.

Florence’s (absurdly impressive) design training continued with her 1940 move to Cambridge, Massachusetts. There, she worked as an apprentice for Bauhaus luminaries Marcel Breuer and Walter Gropius. She ultimately completed her education in Chicago at the Illinois Institute of Technology, where she studied under modernist-master, Mies van der Rohe.

Well prepared for professional success at this point, Knoll moved to New York to formally begin her career as an architect. In 1943, she was hired by the Hans G. Knoll Furniture company to build an interior design business unit. She later become Knoll’s business partner, and in 1946, his wife. Her early work at Knoll, focused on interiors, would proved transformative. The Knoll look, a more approachable and “humanized” modernism, was embraced by corporate clients including CBS, Seagram, Look Magazine, and H. J. Heinz.

Cowles Publication Interior by Florence Knoll | Knoll
Cowles Publication interior, designed by Florence Knoll. Image from the Knoll Archive.

Florence brought a simple but powerful vision to the Knoll Company. First, she professed that “good design is good business.” Second, she believed that the World’s greatest architects had an important role to play in furniture design. Here, her past relationships proved fortuitous. Knoll would go on to collaborate and produce furniture with icons including Mies van der Rohe, Isamu Noguchi, Marcel Breuer, Pierre Jeanneret, and many more. Works designed by noted designers and Florence herself quickly became coveted pieces for modern homes and offices.

The company’s commercial success seemed unstoppable with Knoll showrooms opening up in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas and other American cities, as well as in Europe, Asia and South America. Then, tragedy struck, when Hans Knoll was killed in car accident in 1955. Grief-stricken, but undeterred, Florence took over as President of the company, ultimately doubling the size of the business and releasing some of the company’s most beloved offerings.

In her later years, Florence continued to design for select private clients but avoided interviews and the spotlight. In 2022, U.S. President George W. Bush presented her with the National Medal of Arts, the nations highest award for artistic excellence.

Five couches inspired by the 67-year-old classic Florence Knoll sofa |  Stuff.co.nz
Florence Knoll and Eero Saarinen working through Tulip Chair Details. Image from the Knoll Archive.

GEMS FOR SALE THIS WEEK

2194 Jacques Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262

1700 N Harrison Rd, Tucson, AZ 85715

12367 Deerbrook Ln, Los Angeles, CA 90049

425 Juniper Dr, Pasadena, CA 91105

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5275 Greenridge Rd, Castro Valley, CA 94552

2045 Hillcrest Dr, West Linn, OR 97068

460 Palmitas St, Solana Beach, CA 92075

2856 Palmer Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90065

1130 Linda Vista Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103

6826 W Iris Cir, Los Angeles, CA 90068 (Duplex)

5544 Tuxedo Ter, Los Angeles, CA 90068

2618 Graham Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90278

614 S Coate Rd, Orange, CA 92869

22495 Sierra Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262

2150 N Donner Ave, Tucson, AZ 85749

5924 S Pearl Street, Centennial, CO 80121

13855 SW Bonnie Brae Ct, Beaverton, OR 97005 (Price Cut $100K)

65 Verbena St, Clearwater, FL 33767

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1653 Acacia Dr NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504

The 1958 Forsythe House by James Livingston - $650,000

4081 E Huron River Service Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

2060 Kenwood Dr E, Maplewood, MN 55117

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Florence Knoll, American Furniture Icon

www.midcenturymondays.com
Jessie Winfield
Oct 16Liked by Austin

Impressive woman!

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El Ojo Entrenado
Writes El Ojo Entrenado - The Trained …
Oct 16Liked by Austin

Good one! Thanks

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