DesignerDeco

Florence Knoll

Posted on 17. Feb, 2009 by DesignerDeco in Modern Furniture Designers

One of the greatest distributors and manufacturers of modern-themed furniture< Knoll International, had its breath of life when Florence Schuster came on board. Florence Schuster Knoll was the one who commissioned great artists such as the Charles Eames, Eero Saarinen, and Harry Bertoia, just to name a few.

The personal life of Florence Knoll

Before marrying Hans Knoll, she was first known as Florence “Shu” Schuster. Florence Knoll studied design and architecture in the Cranbrook Academy of Arts under design greats such as Eliel Saarinen and Mies Van der Rohe. Shu also collaborated with some of the leaders of the Bauhaus movement such as Marcel Breuer and Walter Gropius. Aside from being a talented designer, Shu also had a head for business. During the wartime, Shu teamed with Hans Knoll to bring American designs to the market, thus, perpetuating the modern styles starting that era. Shu married Hans Knoll in 1946, after which she was made a full partner. Florence Knoll took over the company when her husband passed away in 1955.

The design ethics Of Florence Knoll

Aside from commissioning works from famous designers, Florence Knoll also made some notable designs of her own. Her pieces became some of the well-known and sought after furniture designs that many appreciated at the time, with some even going on to become classic pieces. Florence Knoll’s creations can be described as having a touch of minimalism, as she chose to have corners and squares in her pieces. Knoll designed furniture using not only the philosophies she learned in the Bauhaus movement, but rather made minimalism, form, and function stylish.

The popular works of Florence Knoll

Florence Knoll gave her own take on the minimalist approach when it came to furniture design. She was quoted as having said that her designs, such as one line of lounge furniture, were the meat and potatoes of interior space.

Florence Knoll’s lounge furniture became very popular pieces. Clean lines and bold colors marked her lounge settees. Sparsely decorated cushions gave homeowners the stark comfort that these pieces provided.

Aside from the lounge furniture, Florence Knoll also designed a slew of other fixtures. Knoll tables were easily identified with their stark designs. Storage pieces such as dressers and cabinets were modeled by Knoll out of a variety of materials such as metal, wood, and laminates that were then becoming the rage.

Florence Knoll also designed furniture pieces and interiors for office spaces. In the 1960s, clean and uncluttered was the way to go for office spaces. Knoll’s pieces for the office not only provided enough space for storage, but also provided stylish themes for the workplace.

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