{"id":9421,"date":"2019-02-01T15:50:36","date_gmt":"2019-02-01T15:50:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heals.com\/blog\/?p=9421"},"modified":"2019-02-06T11:34:09","modified_gmt":"2019-02-06T11:34:09","slug":"remembering-florence-knoll-bassett","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heals.com\/blog\/remembering-florence-knoll-bassett\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembering Florence Knoll Bassett"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"florence-knoll-bassett-headline\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Florence Knoll Bassett, design pioneer and the \u2018guiding light\u2019 of Knoll<\/a><\/span>, sadly passed away on January 25th<\/sup> 2019 at the age of 101. Her designs for Knoll have been a key part of the Heal\u2019s offering for many years and her influence on the brand’s direction is undeniable. In our latest blog we take a look back at the modernist designer\u2019s life and career.<\/p>\n

–<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Florence Knoll Bassett is widely regarded to have \u2018furnished corporate America\u2019 and played a major role in forging the US mid-century modern aesthetic. Her work still feels current and her groundbreaking approach to \u201ctotal design\u201d contributes to the interior design principles of today.<\/p>\n

However, her influence\u00a0stretches far beyond that of interior design. \u201cI am not a decorator,\u201d she famously told The New York Times in 1964<\/a><\/span>, \u201cthe only place I decorate is my own house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Known throughout her life by her friends as \u201cShu,\u201d Florence was born in Michigan in 1917. Having tragically been orphaned at the age of just 12, she decided to attend Kingswood Boarding School for Girls, a decision that would prove pivotal to her future career as a designer.<\/p>\n

\"Florence-knoll-basset\"

Florence leading a meeting with the Knoll Planning Unit<\/p><\/div>\n

It was here that she developed a keen interest in architecture. The school itself was designed by Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen, who was quick to recognise Florence\u2019s design capabilities. She became an extended part of the Saarinen family and formed a close friendship with Eero Saarinen<\/a><\/span> who would later to go on to design a collection of ground-breaking furniture for Knoll.<\/p>\n

Over the following years, she went on to study at Cranbrook Academy of Art, Columbia University\u2019s school of architecture and the Architectural Association in London before finishing her degree in architecture at The Armour Institute of Technology. Throughout her travels she built friendships with some of the world\u2019s leading architects, including Alvar Aalto, Marcel Breuer, Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. These early mentors, particularly Mies, and her exposure to these Bauhaus masters largely influenced her future work for Knoll.<\/p>\n

In 1941, she moved to New York City with the aim to become an architect. It was here she met Hans Knoll, the third generation of a Stuttgart-based furniture manufacturing family who was beginning to bring European Modernism to a new audience. Florence was working for a design firm that was employed by Hans to drum up business for a new chair. However, Florence\u2019s keen eye for design and connections to talented creatives meant it wasn\u2019t long before she was taking on more responsibility at the business.<\/p>\n

Before long, the two were business partners, and went on to marry in 1946.<\/p>\n

\"Hans-Florence-Knoll\"

Hans and Florence Knoll. Photo: Johansen Krause<\/p><\/div>\n

Florence was instrumental in Knoll<\/a><\/span>\u2019s aesthetic development and was not only a talented designer but also a natural businesswoman. She conceptualised some of the brand\u2019s most classic designs and also was able to identify key gaps in the market that Knoll was able to capitalise on.<\/p>\n

She established the Knoll Planning Unit, the business\u2019 interior design service, which went on to set the standard for the mid-century modern interior. It aimed to assess a client\u2019s needs and patterns of use in order to shape a space, not just to decorate it. This \u201ctotal design\u201d approach was entirely unique and is widely recognised as ground-breaking.<\/p>\n

When it came to designing itself, Florence was able to blend the functional values of the Bauhaus movement with her own understanding of modernism. Her table designs for Knoll were oval rather than rectangular, allowing people to interact more freely at a meeting.<\/p>\n

\"florence-knoll-4-1024x0-c-default\"

Image: Mies Van der Rohe Society<\/p><\/div>\n

Sadly, tragedy struck Florence for a second time in 1955 when her husband was killed in a car accident. She was left as the sole owner of the business and continued to carry out her pioneering work until 1959 when she sold the company to Art Metal Construction Company. \u00a0She remained as Knoll\u2019s design director before retiring in 1965.<\/p>\n

Even after its sale, Knoll continued to be inspired by her\u00a0approach to\u00a0design and rigorous standards.\u00a0Drawing upon her rich background and natural talent for architecture and design, Florence Knoll Bassett was able to distinguish herself as an influential woman in a male-dominated industry. She will forever remain an icon and pioneer of the design world. And ultimately, the soul of Knoll.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Florence Knoll Bassett, design pioneer and the \u2018guiding light\u2019 of Knoll, sadly passed away on January 25th 2019 at the age of 101. Her designs for Knoll have been a key part of the Heal\u2019s offering for many years and her influence on the brand’s direction is undeniable. In our latest blog we take […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9521,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-behind-the-design","category-from-the-archives"],"yoast_head":"\nRemembering Florence Knoll Bassett - Heal's Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.heals.com\/blog\/remembering-florence-knoll-bassett\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Remembering Florence Knoll Bassett - Heal's Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"  Florence Knoll Bassett, design pioneer and the \u2018guiding light\u2019 of Knoll, sadly passed away on January 25th 2019 at the age of 101. 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