# Florence Knoll artist context and auction value notes Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/florence-knoll/ Profile generated: 2026-05-01T02:35:00.000Z Quality: high confidence, strong sources ## Artist identity - Birth date: 1917-05-24 - Death date: 2019-01-25 - Nationality: American - Movements: Mid-Century Modern, International Style - Common media: furniture, textile design, architectural interiors ## About Florence Knoll Florence Knoll Bassett (1917–2019) was an American architect and furniture designer whose work helped define the aesthetic of the postwar modern interior. Born in 1917 and active from the early 1940s through the late twentieth century, she became a leading figure in American design by bringing architectural rigor to office and residential furniture. As a principal of Knoll Associates, she shaped the company's design direction and pioneered an integrated approach to interior planning that combined furniture, textiles, and spatial layout. Her designs are characterized by clean geometric lines, material honesty, and functional elegance. The Museum of Modern Art in New York holds her work in its permanent collection, reflecting her significance within twentieth-century design history. Collectors most frequently encounter her furniture through mid-century modern markets, where her seating, desks, and storage pieces remain widely traded. ## Common works and media Florence Knoll's most commonly encountered works include lounge chairs, sofas, credenzas, desks, dining tables, benches, and shelving systems produced by Knoll Associates. Typical materials include polished chrome or welded steel frames, wood veneers such as rosewood and walnut, leather and fabric upholstery, and marble tops. Her designs favor rectilinear forms, restrained proportions, and minimal ornamentation. Textile designs and architectural planning documents may also appear in institutional and auction contexts. Pieces from the 1950s and 1960s production period are the most sought after. ## Market and appraisal context Florence Knoll is one of the most liquid mid-century modern furniture designers in the secondary market, with 1,002 documented auction lots spanning 2009 to April 2026 and 789 priced results. Market activity is stable and mature: 114 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window versus 109 in the prior period, indicating consistent demand without speculative spikes. Prices cluster tightly around a median of $1,430 (USD equivalent), with an interquartile range of $650–$2,500. The ceiling at $16,028 reflects rare or multi-piece lots, while entry-level examples (side tables, small accessories) trade near $200–$400. Credenzas, desks, and dining tables dominate the mid-range ($1,000–$3,000), while executive cabinets and model-specific rosewood pieces command the upper tier. The auction house network is broad and international: Artcurial, Wright, Barton's Auction, Toomey & Co., Tajan, Rago Arts and Auction Center, Los Angeles Modern Auctions, and Cornette de Saint-Cyr all appear as repeat sellers, ensuring geographic liquidity across North America and Europe. Materials significantly influence price: rosewood veneer and chrome-plated steel examples consistently outperform teak or painted finishes. Original Knoll Associates labels from the 1950s–1960s production era carry a measurable premium over later Knoll International or reissue pieces. ## Auction-house-backed market evidence Florence Knoll is one of the most liquid mid-century modern furniture designers in the secondary market, with 1,002 documented auction lots spanning 2009 to April 2026 and 789 priced results. Market activity is stable and mature: 114 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window versus 109 in the prior period, indicating consistent demand without speculative spikes. Prices cluster tightly around a median of $1,430 (USD equivalent), with an interquartile range of $650–$2,500. The ceiling at $16,028 reflects rare or multi-piece lots, while entry-level examples (side tables, small accessories) trade near $200–$400. Credenzas, desks, and dining tables dominate the mid-range ($1,000–$3,000), while executive cabinets and model-specific rosewood pieces command the upper tier. The auction house network is broad and international: Artcurial, Wright, Barton's Auction, Toomey & Co., Tajan, Rago Arts and Auction Center, Los Angeles Modern Auctions, and Cornette de Saint-Cyr all appear as repeat sellers, ensuring geographic liquidity across North America and Europe. Materials significantly influence price: rosewood veneer and chrome-plated steel examples consistently outperform teak or painted finishes. Original Knoll Associates labels from the 1950s–1960s production era carry a measurable premium over later Knoll International or reissue pieces. ### Appraisal notes An Appraisily appraisal of a Florence Knoll piece would cross-reference the item against this 1,002-lot auction record to identify the strongest comparable lots. The appraiser would photograph manufacturer labels (Knoll Associates vs. Knoll International), document model numbers when visible (e.g., Model 2480, Model 121 W-1), record dimensions and materials (rosewood veneer, chrome-plated steel, leather, marble), note condition including any restoration or refinishing, and verify provenance. The median price of $1,430 and interquartile range of $650–$2,500 provide a grounded benchmark, but final value depends on model specificity, original vs. reissue production, material quality, and condition. Multi-piece sets (e.g., pairs of lounge chairs at $2,400, sets of four benches) and larger case pieces (executive cabinets at $4,800) trade at meaningfully different tiers than individual side tables ($225). The appraiser would select 3–5 comparable lots of similar model, material, and condition from recent results to triangulate fair market value. ### Valuation factors - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] ### Collector notes - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] ### Market caveats - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] - [object Object] ### Market evidence sources - undefined: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/florence-knoll/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0 - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-florence-knoll-american-1917-2019-for-knoll-international-a-teak-credenza-359-c-b4030ce939 - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-florence-knoll-knoll-international-conference-dining-table-mid-century-modern-1960s-30-h-x-77-3-4-w-151-c-5445e1c18c - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-florence-knoll-american-1917-2019-a-knoll-side-table-american-mid-20th-century-17-x-27-x-27-in-43-2-x-68-6-x-68-6-cm-18-c-7ebb44762a - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-florence-knoll-american-1917-2019-model-2480-mid-century-modern-rosewood-and-chrome-oval-table-desk-ca-1954-1960-h-28-w-49-l-78-1064-c-1bf6689bb7 - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-florence-knoll-1917-2019-petite-enfilade-a-caisson-quadrangulaire-ouvrant-en-facade-par-deux-portes-coulissantes-a-prises-de-cuir-noir-194-c-8da4a75bbe - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-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-89-c-87e5c78bfe - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-florence-knoll-1917-2019-a-parallel-bar-system-sofa-and-slipper-chair-for-knoll-mid-20th-century-34-c-7de48e6b2a - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-florence-knoll-saginaw-united-states-1917-coral-gables-2019-for-knoll-a-round-dining-table-top-in-rosewood-veneer-column-frame-and-four-star-base-in-chrome-plated-metal-121-c-fc04abe81f - undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-florence-knoll-for-knoll-associates-credenza-143-c-e0942e9ac1 ## Appraisily data basis Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from authority files and museum collections with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Florence Knoll, identity data is sourced from Wikidata, VIAF, Getty ULAN, the RKD, and the Museum of Modern Art. Market observations are based on documented auction categories and institutional holdings. ## Sources - Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5460673 - VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/69800160/ - RKD: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/294431 - The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/7596 - Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500108516 - Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n92075642