Florence Knoll Bassett

I started this blog September 6, 2010. Some of you have been readers since the beginning. Others have come on board later. From now through the end of the month, I'm going to be on a short blogging break. Not only am I in the middle of a big volunteer project, I'm also trying to help get the new store open, so I've decided share some of my favorite posts from the past four years. I'll throw in a few new photos for you longtime supporters who read the posts when they were first published.


(First posted 4/2/2011)

Born Florence Schust (1917- ) in Michigan, orphaned at age 12 and known to her friends as "Shu," she later became a protegée of Eliel Saarinen at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, as well as a close friend of his son Eero. She also studied at the Architectural Association in London and under Mies van der Rohe at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

After receiving her degree, she moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she worked briefly for Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer and Wallace K. Harrison. In 1943, she went to work for the Hans J. Knoll Furniture Company, which at that time was a small studio mainly manufacturing pieces by Scandinavian designers. By 1946, she had become a full partner in the firm and married Hans Knoll. Together they formed Knoll Associates and began to focus on International Style Modernism.

Her innovative concept of "total design" resulted in the formation of a "space planning unit," which created cohesive, comprehensive design by encompassing architecture, manufacturing, interior design, textiles, graphics, advertising and presentation. This reinvented Knoll's image and revolutionized the field. Her ideas still remain in practice today.

She acquired the rights to produce Mies van der Rohe´s "Barcelona" group, as well as work from other well-known designers, including Eero Saarinen, Isamu Noguchi, and Harry Bertoia.

She became president of the firm in 1955, when Hans Knoll was killed in a car accident. She retired in 1960, but she is still a consultant. In 1958, she married banker Harry Hood Bassett.

In 2004, the Philadelphia Museum of Art devoted a major exhibit to her life and work.

From lostcityarts.com and knoll.com

Florence Knoll bench
knoll.com

Florence Knoll chair
knoll.com

Armless sofa
treadwaygallery.com

Oval desk table
knoll.com

Club chairs
mid2mod.com

Chrome and glass coffee and end tables
knoll.com

Florence Knoll sofa
knoll.com

Desk
liveauctioneers.com

bauhausinteriors.com

Prototypes

One of my favorite blogs is Forthzine by Jonas Forth. I mentioned one of his posts the other day, and I'm sharing another one today. He has collected photos of designers building or examining prototypes of their well-known pieces, and it's truly amazing to feel like you've had a glimpse at the inception of an icon.

Again, I encourage you to check out the entire post for yourself. I'll just show you a few of my favorites.

All images from jonasforth.com

Charles and Ray Eames - La Chaise, 1948

Hans Wegner - Papa Bear Chair, 1950

Florence Knoll and Eero Saarinen - Tulip Table base, 1955

Arne Jacobsen - Egg Chair, 1958

In the store: HUGE sale

Now through May 2, we're having the biggest sale we've ever held. Almost all our vintage modern pieces are marked down, many 25-30%, quite a few 50-60% and some as much as 76% off.

If you've always wanted to shop with us but haven't yet, now is the time...even if you're not local. Call Joe and ask about shipping.

Pair of 1959 Lightolier pendants (new old stock) - $400

C. Jere Brass Lamp - $750

8 Moller Chairs - $3400

4 Salterini Chairs - $1200

Florence Knoll Sofa - $2200

Hans Wegner Sideboard -  $3400

In the store: Nelson and Knoll

We just put two gorgeous tables on the floor. One is an early George Nelson design for Herman Miller that has two butterfly leaves, a walnut top and ebony legs. The other is an oval rosewood by Florence Knoll that can be used as a conference table or a dining table.  The Nelson table has been fully restored, and the Knoll table is in very good vintage condition.

Herman Miller tag on George Nelson table

Florence Knoll oval rosewood table

Gorgeous grain on Knoll table

In the store: Florence Knoll sofa

New in the store is a beautiful two-seater sofa by Florence Knoll. It is all original and is in excellent condition. This piece is a real classic!

Shu, Cranbrook and the roots of Knoll Associates

youtube.com
Uploaded by knolldesign, October 8, 2009

When Florence Schust (called "Shu" by her friends, as you will hear Richard Schultz refer to her in the video) saw Cranbrook Academy of Art, she knew it was the place she wanted to go to school. The campus, known as the birthplace of American modernism, was designed in 1928 by Eliel Saarinen and is comprised of ten Artist-in-Residence homes on one side of Academy Way and dormitories above graduate studios on the other side. The Academy's website provides several beautiful video tours of the campus today.

While a teenager and a student at the Kingswood School, a part of the 315-acre Cranbrook Educational Community, she met Eliel Saarinen and became an "unofficially adopted" member of the Saarinen family. During her years at Cranbrook Academy, she was immersed in a community of painters, sculptors, architects and designers, all working together to form an integrated concept. Later, when she married Hans Knoll, she brought Eero Saarinen, Ralph Rapson and Harry Bertoia...all from Cranbrook...into the company.

The magical beauty of Cranbrook, as well as the associations and friendships she formed there, no doubt influenced Florence Knoll's aesthetics and her vision of excellence for the company.

Richard Schultz for Knoll

Richard Schultz (1926- ) studied at at Iowa State University and the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. He went to work for Knoll in 1951 to work with Harry Bertoia. While working for Knoll, he designed beds, daybeds, chaise lounges, coffee tables, sofas and desks.

In 1966 Florence Knoll asked him to design a collection of outdoor furniture that would withstand the climate in Florida, where she had a home. Now probably best known for his outdoor furniture, Shultz has reissued his 1966 collection and continues to design new products.

From knoll.com and richardshultz.com

Petal table
1stdibs.com

Enameled cocktail table
1stdibs.com

Rocking chair
architonic.com

Armchairs
treadwaygallery.com

Rosewood and chrome coffee table
mid2mod.com

The most recent addition to our store is a daybed Richard Schultz designed for Knoll in the 1950s. It is in spectacular condition, having been reupholstered in a Knoll fabric. It has an adjustable cane back that is simply beautiful. 

Richard Schultz daybed for Knoll, 1950s...for sale at our store

Back view of the Richard Schultz daybed for Knoll

Close-up of upholstery fabric

If money were no object

While sitting around the shop yesterday, my SIL and I played one of those "what if" games...about what pieces of furniture we'd have in our own homes if money were no object. I was surprised to find out that it would be tough to make decisions if I actually had the money in my hand and could buy anything I wanted.

We agreed that we'd have to have a Hans Wegner Papa Bear chair. It's kinda like the Holy Grail of chairs for us (although I openly pine for one of his Ox chairs, as well as a Saarinen Womb chair and a Juhl Chieftain). Since we were talking about pricing yesterday, I asked him what he'd sell a Papa Bear for if he got his hands on one. He looked at me like I had suddenly lost my mind, and said, "Sell it? You think I'd sell it?"

Hans Wegner Papa Bear chair
classicchair.net

We both insisted that we'd have to have a group of George Nelson lamps hanging somewhere in our houses. My SIL wanted some dramatic Danish floor lamps too, while I wanted a large Poul Henningsen PH-5 lamp hanging somewhere...and a Sarfatti or a Geller or a Thurston on my desk...and, of course, a Noguchi Akari light or two somewhere. See what I mean? Narrowing it down gets harder and harder as you try to figure out exactly where you'd put the pieces in your home and which ones you'd use together in groupings. So much to choose from...so little space.

George Nelson bubble lamps
georgenelson.org

Poul Henningsen PH-5
designer-lighting.com

Gerald Thurston tripod lamp
1stdibs.com

Noguchi Akari lights
noguchi.org

When it came to choosing our all-time favorite sofas, it was even more difficult. We realized that that we love so many sofas, it's impossible to pick just one. My SIL is a real admirer of Finn Juhl, but there's something about the drama of Paul Evans that fascinates him. (I told him I'd be afraid to sit on a Paul Evans sofa. The term "Brutalist" conjures up images of being bitten on the posterior by some wild, metal creature, although the one he chose was fairly tame by Evans's standards.)

Finn Juhl sofa
danish-furniture.com

Paul Evans sofa
redmodernfurniture.com

I immediately thought of a Florence Knoll sofa, but I'm not crazy about the metal legs. OK, maybe a Wegner or a Grete Jalk. But in the end, I was true to my real love, the wonderful Mr. Risom.

Florence Knoll sofa
1stdibs.com

Hans Wegner sofa
scandinavianmod.com

Grete Jalk sofa
1stdibs.com

Jens Risom sofa
1stdibs.com

By the time I finished weighing the pros and cons of all my favorite sofas, the SIL had changed his mind. He decided to go for comfort, and since he's decided that the Adrian Pearsall gondola we have is the best thing he's ever stretched out on, that was his final choice.

Adrian Pearsall gondola sofa
livinghomefurniture.com

Dining room furniture was a bit of a challenge too. We tossed around the ideas of a Platner set or a Noguchi Cyclone table but decided we'd rather have the smaller rocking stools. There were several Scandinavian sets my SIL liked, so he really couldn't make up his mind. I finally decided that the only thing I'd give up my Drexel Profile set for is a Brasilia Cathedral table in mint condition, with the glass in the center without a scratch and the ceramic bowl without a chip (which is so rare I couldn't even find a good picture of one). Oh, and did I mention that the fabric would have to be the original bird pattern without a spot? Otherwise, I'd hang on to what I have.

Noguchi rocking stools
designmuseum.org

Warren Platner dining set
deconet.com

Credenzas were a little easier. My SIL decided again to go for the drama with Paul Evans, while I decided that I'd keep my Jens Risom credenza, if only for sentimental reasons, even if money were no object. It was my first really nice designer piece, and I doubt that I'll ever let it go.

Paul Evans credenza
worthpoint.com

My Jens Risom credenza

So what would your dream home have in it?  Trust me, this isn't as easy as it sounds.


Update: 5/4/2014...Three years later - Looking back at this early post was a real eye-opener. In the years since I wrote it, pieces that seemed almost impossible to attain when we first went into business have come and gone. We've sold several Papa Bear chairs, as well as dining sets and sideboards by Hans Wegner. We've had Nelson bubble lights, Noguchi cyclone tables and rocking stools and tables by Warren Platner. We've sold many Adrian Pearsall chairs and sofas and tables, as well as quite a few Paul Evans pieces. We had a Grete Jalk sofa in turquoise that was just like the orange one, and we have a Knoll sofa in the store now.

The Henningsen and Thurston lamps have remained elusive. They're still on our list of things to find, along with many items we've added along the way. I'm sure if we played "what if" today, the thing on our lists might include quite a few new pieces.

I still have my Jens Risom credenza and John van Koert china cabinet, but I've moved on and sold the dining set. Things change...but that's what makes life exciting.