Florence Knoll Sofa in Patterned Dedar Jacquard Velvet, De Coene, Belgium, 1950s

A rare three-seat sofa designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll International and produced by De Coene in the late 1950s. From 1954 onwards, the renowned Belgian manufacturer De Coene produced Knoll furniture under license. A substantial number of influential Belgian and other European architects started to incorporate Knoll furniture in their designs to emphasize the modernity in their work.

This comfortable sofa has been fully reconditioned and reupholstered in a black and brown patterned Dedar velvet. This jacquard velvet has an abstract irregular labyrinth pattern inspired by the stylized language of Cubism and wild animal skins in natural tones. The six black lacquered steel legs are positioned at an angle, giving the sofa a striking, slightly tilted appearance.

Literature Steven and Linda Rouland/ Knoll Furniture 1938-1960, Schiffer Publishing. Atglen, 2005, page 77. Charlotte and Peter Fiell. Decorative Art 60s, Taschen. Cologne, 2013, page 92-3.