Modern Milestone
March 25, 2017
What a fitting tribute. In celebration of Florence Knoll’s 100th Year, Knoll has reissued several classic pieces by one of my favorite icons of mid-century furniture design. The simplicity of her designs had me hooked from the start. I’ve collected so many vintage Florence Knoll pieces that friends would joke that I owned more Florence Knoll than Florence herself. One piece that eluded me was this small table originally released in 1948. A simple round top on steel hairpin legs… a design that set into motion a wave of knockoffs that continues to this day…The Hairpin Stacking Table.
Photos: Knoll
https://www.knoll.com/product/florence-knoll-hairpin-stacking-table
If your Valentine is feeling generous….
February 12, 2017
you might ask to forgo the chocolates…the expensive evening out…the case of Veuve and wait a few more days for the annual Knoll sale. An investment in something from the Knoll Classics collection is sure to make your heart skip a beat or two. If you’re lucky enough to have a vintage piece in need of a recover, you might consider a few yards from their extensive textile collection.
Worth the Wait
July 14, 2016
Perfect for dining al fresco now or to put into service indoors during Fall and Winter. Harry Bertoia’s plastic side chair for Knoll International, a re-issue of the original 1956 design in celebration of his 100th birthday. Shells will be available in neutrals to brights…the frames in polished chrome or powder coat.
Put it in neutral
October 25, 2015
I’ve owned a pair of vintage Womb chairs in a sunflower yellow with black frames and then a single in royal purple with a chrome frame, each a nod to the time in which they were produced…first the fifties, then the seventies. The first pair was acquired during an impromptu stop at a Beverly Hills yard sale and the latter from a similar unplanned stop in the mid-west. Now I’m feeling the urge to buy back my simplequietmodern favorites that have been long gone to new homes. Lucky for me this classic is still in production. And, bonus, Knoll has re-issued the Saarinen Womb settee. Hmmmm, what to do. In any case, the textile selection for me is a no brainer….the classic wool boucle is always my first choice. And, as if it could get any simpler… the color is aptly named “Neutral”. Hard to make a mistake here, especially when combined with the black frame. That settled, it’s on to choosing a chair and ottoman, a chair and settee. a pair of chairs or the settee alone. Good to know that there are no bad choices here.
photos:http://www.knoll.com/shop
50 years apart
January 11, 2015
From the colorful velvet by Wolf Bauer, produced by Knoll Textiles in 1966, to the Alexander McQueen inspired sprayed and scrunched velvet in the Knoll Luxe Collection, it’s clear that great design inspiration can come from anywhere. The streets, fashion and art always play a part. The Bauer pattern might remind you of a tissue paper collage you attempted as a child. The McQueen inspired textile was extracted right from the runway…where robotic arms sprayed the garment while on the moving model. Genius on both levels. And, both can make a statement and hold their own whether keeping it neutral or popping up the brights.
An anchoring “palate cleanser” of neutral texture like Knoll Textiles North Island (shown in Wind) http://www.knoll.com/knolltextileproductdetail/North+Island ,complement both the vintage and the new patterns perfectly.
Mc Queen inspired Arezzo ( shown in Squid Ink ): photos: Knoll http://www.knoll.com/knolltextileproductdetail/Arezzo
Wolf Bauer velvet photo: gp
Heads it’s black…
April 6, 2014
tails it’s white. You might have to flip a coin to make this decision. After fifty plus years as an icon of modern interior furnishings, the Saarinen table is now available for outdoor use. As the white top/white base configuration of the 1957 original has been my all time favorite, I can’t see changing things up now…or can I ?
photos via http://hivemodern.com/pages/product7267/eero-saarinen-outdoor-dining-table-knoll
