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.
Restored Vintage Florence Knoll Oval Top Rosewood Dining or Conference Table
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in St. Louis, MO
Restored Mid-Century Modern vintage Florence Knoll oval top dining table / conference or desk in rare book matched rosewood veneer on chrome star...
Chrome
Rare Early Florence Knoll Rosewood Dinning Table
By Florence Knoll
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Dated 1973, We offer this Rare Early Florence Knoll Rosewood Dinning Table, designed to furnish the new interiors of postwar America, this table is a scaled-down translation of the l...
Steel
$6,480Sale Price|67% Off
20ft Vintage Midcentury Florence Knoll Conference Table
By Florence Knoll
Located in Pasadena, TX
Florence Knoll Trained as an architect, Florence Knoll's own pieces for Knoll are simple, architectural designs that stand the test of time. Her lounge seating, sofas, tables, and...
Walnut
$4,122Sale Price|40% Off
Florence Knoll Oak and Re-Chromed Steel Base Dining or Conference Table
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Florence Knoll-designed oak dining table. This table features a 7' foot long top and a newly re-chromed steel base. This table was also sold as a conference table. The top was recently refinished along with the base being re-plated in chrome. This appears to be an original Knoll table...
Steel, Chrome
Vintage Florence Knoll Table with a Red Tiger Maple Top
By Florence Knoll
Located in Pasadena, TX
Vintage Florence Knoll Red Tiger Maple Top Table 102" x 54". A Mid-Century Modern table designed by Florence Knoll, which could be used as a conference table or as a desk. It featu...
Steel
A Large Vintage Early Florence Knoll Wood Circular Conference / Dining Table
By Knoll, Florence Knoll, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Chicago, IL
Beautiful Early Vintage Florence Knoll Circular Conference or Dining Table. A large diameter of 60". Table requires restoration/refinishing. Appears to have an added clear lacquer a...
Wood
93" Florence Knoll dark granite top table on chrome base
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Ferndale, MI
Florence Knoll design for Knoll International . Almost eight foot by four and a half foot black andes graniter top on polished chrome base . Beautifully simple design allows the lar...
Stone, Steel, Chrome
$6,800Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 29.5 in W 42 in D 96 in
Contemporary Solid White Oak Dining or Conference Table
By Klein Agency
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Dinners are our favorite. We love having them, hosting them, laughing around during them, cleaning up after them. This is what our dining table is and means to us. The solid white oak...
Wood, Oak
Florence Knoll Walnut & Chrome Oval Dining Conference Table
By Florence Knoll
Located in New York, NY
Florence Knoll Walnut & Chrome Oval Dining Conference Table. Excellent vintage condition with age appropriate wear. Walnut top has been professionally refinished. This item is in ...
Steel
$2,811Sale Price|71% Off
H 28.25 in W 117.25 in D 44.75 in
Monumental Florence Knoll Walnut Boat Shape Table for Knoll International
Located in Esperance, NY
For sale is this very impressive knoll conference table made out of a solid piece of walnut wood with a stainless steel base.
Walnut
Florence Knoll Coffee / Side End Table with White Marble Top
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Wilton, CT
Shown here we have the Florence Knoll Coffee Table, a design staple. This table has a handsome white stone top with a hint of light gray veins. Matching this piece with one's décor w...
Stone, Marble, Stainless Steel
$6,792
H 28.35 in W 79.93 in D 41.74 in
Vintage Mid Century Modern Herman Miller No1 Eames Conference Table
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer this super rare and highly collectable, original, Mid Century Modern, Herman Miller No1 Edition conference table, which were purchased by the original owner...
Chrome
1960s Rosewood Oval Table in the Style of Florence Knoll
By Florence Knoll
Located in Cedar Falls, IA
Vintage rosewood table or desk on chrome base, in the style of Florence Knoll's "Table Desk" designed in 1961. Large rosewood surface with stunning grain and figure. Chrome base in...
Chrome
$27,845Sale Price|20% Off
H 29.53 in W 188.98 in D 64.97 in
XXL Vintage Mid-Century Teak Conference Dining Table
Located in Oirlo, LI
This table served for many years in the boardroom of Volvo Stockholm. A super rare piece of which there is only 1. With a striking teak grain and a classic, mid-century modern look....
Teak, Plywood
A wood and formica conference or dining table, Italy, 1960s
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
A large table, produced in Italy during the Sixties, crafted from wood and Formica, is perfect for furnishing a conference room, a spacious dining area, or any setting where socializ...
Formica, Wood
$3,295
H 29.25 in W 96 in D 42.5 in
Modern Oak Large Trestle Style Dining or Conference Table Bullnose Edges
Located in Topeka, KS
Gorgeous modern oak veneer large trestle style dining or conference table with bullnose edge top and slab style legs. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that this is vintage and not new so will have signs of use and wear. We have noticed a few minor nicks and dings on the top and along the edges. The top also has an overall raised grain texture. Please see photos and zoom in for details. We attempt to portray any imperfections. Circa, Late 20th Century. This is a TITANIC of a table!!! Lol… It’s super large!! It is comprised of gorgeous oak veneer with solid oak applied to both ends… kind of a modified trestle style dining table with slab legs, and beautiful bullnose edge on said top and legs. The added solid oak ends are separated from the veneered top by a narrow-blackened groove which sets this detail off nicely. It is absolutely stunning!! It is a colossal 96 inches long and seats eight comfortably, but you may fit ten if the chairs are a bit narrower or you straddle the legs. The legs are recessed 6.5 inches, so straddling is not a large obstacle. In addition, although the natural oak is beautiful, we can also see this being ebonized with a little black dye. Incredible!!! It will be fabulous in your dining room or as a lovely conference table at the office! It is modern in style, but it will host oodles of options of dining or office chairs! We have LOTS of chairs...
Oak
Elm Wood and Resin Dining or Conference Table
Located in Paris, FR
Dining table or conference table in solid elmwood made with the cut of an elm coated with a strong transparent resin. Top thickness: 5 cm. Base composed of eight forged metal feet....
Metal
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...
Marble, Steel, Chrome
Sleek Danish Dining Table with Rectangular Top in Teak
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Dining table, teak, Denmark, 1960s. Beautiful sleek table. rectangular shaped top of this table displays a beautiful grain in the wood. The base consists of four legs and shows beau...
Wood
Florence Knoll Dining Round Table Chrome Star Base & Marble Top
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in San Diego, CA
Knoll round dining table circa 1970s great design normal wear due to age marble top has been replaced its beautifull top grade by Minotti and chrome-plated base. this table retails f...
Marble, Chrome
Sold
H 29 in W 96 in D 42 in
Florence Knoll Dining Conference Desk Table Bronze Star Base X Large & Walnut
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in San Diego, CA
X large Knoll conference table circa 1970s great design can be used like a dining table or desk table, in a patinated bronze finish base and a top with laminated center formica faux ...
Bronze
Large Florence Knoll Teak Boat Shaped Dining Table
By Florence Knoll, Knoll, Nordiska Kompaniet
Located in Dronten, NL
Rare Florence Knoll for Knoll International model 578 dining table, circa 1958. Measures: 8 ft. long, seats 8-10 people. Large conference table with boat shaped top in teak and enam...
Steel
Sold
H 28.5 in W 96 in D 40 in
Florence Knoll Walnut Boat Shaped Conference or Dining Table, Newly Refinished
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in South Bend, IN
A sleek and stylish Mid-Century Modern boat shaped dining table or conference table By Florence Knoll for Knoll Associates USA, Circa 1960s Stunning book-matched walnut top,...
Steel, Chrome
Sold
H 27.5 in W 78 in D 48 in
Florence Knoll Dining or Conference Desk Table Chrome Star Base & Marble Top
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in San Diego, CA
Knoll conference table circa 1970s great design can be used like a dining table or desk table, some wear due to age please check the pictures. with marble edge top and chrome-plated ...
Marble, Chrome
Mid-Century Modern Florence Knoll Dining Conference Table
By Florence Knoll
Located in San Antonio, TX
Iconic Mid-Century Modern dining table or conference table designed by Florence Knoll features an oak oval top and the classic chrome base. This mid-century dining table is in great ...
Chrome
No. 580 Walnut Dining or Conference Table by Florence Knoll
By Florence Knoll
Located in Munich, DE
A wonderful table with amazing shape. 78cm at the ends - 105cm in the middle.
Walnut
Mid-Century Florence Knoll Oval Table
By Florence Knoll
Located in San Antonio, TX
Mid-Century Modern table designed by Florence Knoll. In good condition, this vintage table is oval shaped, walnut wood top with a chrome base, and can easily seat eight. This large t...
Chrome
Knoll Starburst Base Conference Table
By Florence Knoll
Located in Dallas, TX
Classic Knoll oval conference table. Mounted on a chrome starburst base. A Florence Knoll design, 1976.
Chrome
Sold
H 28.5 in W 78 in D 48 in
Florence Knoll Oval Emperador Marble Top Dining Table, Conference Table or Desk
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in St. Louis, MO
Classic Florence Knoll for Knoll dining table with oval Emperador marble top and chrome base. Emperador marble top colors are olive-beige tones, the marble is quarried in Spain. Chro...
Marble, Metal
Florence Knoll Dining or Conference Desk Table Chrome Star Base X Large
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in San Diego, CA
X large Knoll conference table circa 1970s great design can be used like a dining table or desk table, some wear due to age please check the pictures.
Chrome
Impressive Florence Knoll Executive Desk
By Florence Knoll
Located in Munich, DE
Big chromed base with oak top. Wonderful grain. Can also be used as conference or dining table. Early base with high adjustable ends.
Oak