Florence Knoll

FLORENCE KNOLL (Saginaw, United States, 1917 - Coral Gables, 2019) for KNOLL International.
Sideboard, late 1950s.
Restored wood frame, raffia fronts, leather handles and original legs.
Height adjustable shelves in each compartment.
Fully restored, except for the legs. The leather handles were redone identically, the doors were covered with an elegant quality raffia by its upholsterer (raffia from Spain).
Purchased at auction (Invoice available).
Measurements: 79 x 183 x 46 cm.

This elegant sideboard, designed by Florence Knoll and edited by Knoll in the late 1950s, is a superb example of the functional refinement that defined post-war modern American furniture. Conceived with the author's characteristic sobriety, it combines pure lines, perfect proportions and a timeless presence.

The piece features four sliding doors with stitched leather handles, true to the original design, and a carefully organized interior with adjustable shelves. The sideboard has undergone a comprehensive restoration of the highest standard: a specialized cabinetmaker sanded, repaired, stained and re-varnished the entire structure, while a craftsman reproduced the leather handles identically. The doors have been covered with a sophisticated quality raffia, providing a warm and contemporary texture without losing the modernist essence of the design.

An exceptional piece of furniture that unites historical authenticity and a careful material update, ideal for collectors and lovers of mid-century design.

Florence Knoll was an architect and furniture designer who studied with Mies van der Rohe and Eliel Saarinen. She created the new model for the modern office in post-war America. The company she created with her husband, Knoll Associates, became a leader in innovative interior design and modern furniture in the 1950s and 1960s, becoming one of the most important publishers of Scandinavian design.