​Florence Knoll Chair: The History Behind Its Creator

If you are a lover of mid-century style, you should probably know who Florence Knoll was, if not then don't worry! Today, before we begin to describe one of its most incredible furniture icons, we are going to share a bit of its interesting background because behind a famous chair like the Florence arm chair there is always a mastermind.

Florence Knoll, inspiring women & founder of Knoll Associates

Florence Marguerite Knoll Bassett, better known as Florence Knoll, was an American architect, furniture designer, and entrepreneur who had a great influence on the office design revolution. She helped bring modernist designs into the office, so you're probably enjoying a clean, modern office right now thanks to her input, impressive right?

The success behind the Knoll creation process was very inspiring.

She was orphaned at a very young age and then her tutor sent her to a school designed by Eliel Saarinen in Bloomfield Hills, Illinois. After that, she becomes trapped in the structure of the building and her fascination for it leads her to make the decision to study architecture.

At university, she studied with none other than Mies van der Rohe and began to spend her first years of career in firms run by the stature of Marcel Breuer. In 1946 she meets Hans Knoll and tries to express her thoughts on armchairs and office furniture so that these elements join the company.

The inspiring story continues when after partnering with Hans Knoll (her husband) she had to struggle with gender stereotypes while working on the professionalization of office design. But, each fight was worth it because thanks to her we now have new concepts in office design, a more modern one, with clean and optimized lines.

Knowing the Florence arm chair: A modern armchair with organic lines

The Florence arm chair was first created in 1956 by our today’s star, this modern chair is the recreation of comfortable and functional design, a very renowned symbol of mid-century modern furniture.

Florence Knoll was also recognized by designing pieces with a purpose; solving practical problems without forgetting the aesthetical look, the Knoll chair is a representation of that philosophy.

In the process of creating the Florence chair, he wondered how to sustain luxurious upholstery by taking the optimal space for different rooms. The problem posed was solved by creating a masterpiece.

A beautiful cubic chair with really thick and comfortable cushions filled with dense foam, the cover of this cubic is made from high quality, natural Italian leather, and its finishes are formed with flexible aniline, natural oils, and waxes to give it a sophisticated look. This is one of the attractions of this piece, its natural and durable appearance.

The cubic form is specially made to fit in those awkward spaces you may have, to ensure those nooks and crannies look stylish.

So, what do you think of the Florence Knoll chair? Comment below which was your favorite feature of this mid-century chair.