As a proud woman-owned, woman-focused business, Graymoor Lane Designs is excited to launch a mini-series on our For the Love of Good Design blog focused on the incredible women behind some of the mid-century’s most iconic designs. On both sides of the Atlantic, and throughout the twentieth century, women have played a pivotal role not only in creating Modern design, but also in marketing and manufacturing it. Throughout the year, we will introduce you to some of these amazing women. And where better to begin than with Florence Knoll.

You may not have ever heard of Florence Knoll, but this powerhouse businesswoman single-handedly put modern design in all of our houses.

Courtesy of Knoll Inc.

The Greatest Designers of the Mid-Century Era

Florence Schust was born in Michigan in 1917. This local, Midwest girl studied…

To view this content, please JOIN us in the Inner Circle!

[membership level="3,4"]

art and architecture at the prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art alongside a Who’s-Who of Modern Design legends: Eero Saarinen, Charles Eames, Ed Bacon, Harry Weese, and Harry Bertoia, just to name a few. After Cranbrook, she honed her interior design skills under the instruction of Walter Gropius, Marcel Bruer, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Her credentials, as well as her eye for design, were unrivaled.

Working in New York during the War, she met and married Hans Knoll, a German furniture designer who was launching a new company. Florence, or “Shu,” as she was known, quickly became the powerhouse behind the firm.

Florence launched the Knoll Planning Unit, a design division responsible for the entire plan of a project, from spatial harmony to items of furniture. Knoll furniture started appearing in homes across America after World War II, but through her Planning Unit, Florence also pioneered a revolution in corporate interiors, designing the offices of IBM, GM, and CBS.

Select pieces from the Cypress Collection

International Style

When Hans Knoll founded the Knoll Associate, later Knoll International, he brought with him a native interest in Scandinavian Modernism. Florence, on the other hand, introduced the International Style. She welcomed her friends into the company, becoming the American manufacturer for the likes of Saarinen, Eames, Mies van der Rohe, and others.

The sleek, organic lines of iconic Knoll designs all originate from Florence’s vision and personal connections: the Eames Pedestal Table; the Bertoia Diamond Chair; Mies’ Barcelona Collection; and more. Even some of Florence’s own designs have become iconic in their own right.