Though vintage Warren Platner chairs, sofas and interiors are icons of mid-century modernism, the architect and furniture designer took his stylistic inspiration from as far back as 18th-century France, once saying about his seminal collection for Knoll that his design intent was to evoke “the kind of decorative, gentle, graceful kind of design that appeared in period style like Louis XV.”
Indeed, the marriage of modern sensibility and classical grace is a marker of Platner’s style across furnishings and interiors — both genres in which he left an enduring legacy.
Born in 1919 in Baltimore, Maryland, Platner studied architecture at Cornell before cutting his teeth working for design icons like Eero Saarinen and Kevin Roche, eventually serving as head of interior design in the latter’s office. In 1965, Platner opened his own office, in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he continued to hone his particular brand of graceful modernism.
Knoll released the Platner Collection of seating and tables in 1966. (Originally designed in 1962, the suite took nearly four years of development to bring to life.)
The decorative bent-metal-and-glass pieces — an armchair, a dining table and more — make certain nods to the trademarks of his former employers, but also to the shapes of historic European furniture. The sculptural elegance of his line recalls Saarinen’s iconic Tulip collection, which includes armchairs and dining tables, while his materiality aligns with Roche’s cutting-edge use of glass and metal for the headquarters of the Ford Foundation in New York.
Many of Platner’s Knoll pieces would go on to find homes in a certain fabled locale: the Windows on the World restaurant at the original World Trade Center, whose interiors Platner was tapped to outfit in the mid-1970s. Upon the opening of the restaurant in 1976, New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger dubbed its style “sensuous modernism” — an apt tagline for Platner’s oeuvre as a whole.
Platner died in 2006 at the age of 86. His furniture is still produced by Knoll, and original examples — along with idiosyncratic custom works he created for interior design clients — are coveted by collectors today.
Find vintage Warren Platner furniture on 1stDibs.
As a company that produced many of the most famous and iconic furniture designs of the 20th century, Knoll was a chief influence in the rise of modern design in the United States. Led by Florence Knoll, the firm would draw stellar talents such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Eero Saarinen into its compass. Their work would help change the face of the American home and office.
The company was formed in 1938 by the German immigrant Hans Knoll. He first worked with his fellow ex-pat, the Danish designer Jens Risom, who created furniture with flowing lines made of wood. While Risom served in World War II, in 1943 Knoll met his future wife, Florence Schust. She had studied and worked with eminent emigré leaders of the Bauhaus, including Mies, Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. She won Knoll over with Bauhaus notions of industrial arts, and an aesthetic that featured flat and tubular metal frames and angular forms. When Hans died in a car crash in 1955, Florence Knoll was appointed head of the company. It was as much through her holistic approach to design — a core division of the firm was dedicated to planning office systems — as Knoll's mid-century modern furnishings themselves that she brought about the sleek and efficient transformation of the American workplace.
Today, classic Knoll furnishings remain staples of modern design collections and decor. A history of modern design is written in pieces such as the elegant Barcelona chair — created by Mies and Lilly Reich — Saarinen’s pedestal Tulip chair, Breuer’s tubular steel Wassily lounge chair and the grid-patterned Diamond chair by Harry Bertoia.
As you can see from the collection of these designs and other vintage Knoll dining chairs, sofas and tables on 1stDibs, this manufacturer's offerings have become timeless emblems of the progressive spirit and sleek sophistication of the best of modernism.
Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates 'Compass' Dining Table in Walnut, 1960s
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A striking example of Adrian Pearsall’s sculptural design language, this 'Compass' dining table (Model 2458-T48) was produced by Craft Associates in the 1960s. The solid walnut base ...
Walnut
Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates 'Compass' Dining Table in Walnut, 1960s
By Craft Associates, Adrian Pearsall
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A striking example of Adrian Pearsall’s sculptural design language, this 'Compass' dining table was produced by Craft Associates in the 1960s. The solid walnut base features Pearsall...
Walnut
'Sultana' Sculptural Dining Table by George Mulhauser for Plycraft, 1960s
By Plycraft, George Mulhauser
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A sculptural and highly collectible example of the 'Sultana' dining table designed by George Mulhauser and produced by Plycraft in the 1960s. Part of an iconic line that included tables, seating and coordinating pieces, this table exemplifies Mulhauser’s ability to marry structural ingenuity with decorative flair. The design is anchored by a sweeping, scroll-formed wood base refinished in a dark brown stain, its looping curves radiating outward to create a visually dynamic silhouette that remains remarkably elegant. Resting atop this sculptural support is a 48" round glass top (but different size tops can be made upon request), which displays the base like a piece of modern art while providing generous surface area for dining or entertaining. Part of Plycraft’s signature Sultana line is a suite that also included armchairs and side chairs, this table reflects the best of mid-century American modernism with a Hollywood Regency sensibility. Its balanced proportions, bold yet refined detailing, and high-quality materials make it an exceptional focal point for both classic and contemporary interiors. Ideal for collectors, interior designers and decorators, and discerning clients seeking a centerpiece dining table that is both functional and a work of art, this Mulhauser Sultana...
Wood
Warren Platner Bronze Wire Easy Chair for Knoll International, c 1966, Signed
By Knoll, Warren Platner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A collectors example early production Warren Platner 'Easy' chair for Knoll International, United States, circa 1966. This iconic high-back lounge chair, often affectionately referre...
Bronze
VK201 Rosewood Dining Table by Vladimir Kagan for Kagan-Dreyfuss, 1958, Signed
By Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc., Vladimir Kagan
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This rare and important model #VK-201 sculptured Rosewood and Walnut 'Round Extension Dining Table' by Vladimir Kagan for Kagan-Dreyfuss was designed in 1958, this example produced between 1958 and 1960, during Kagan's partnership with Hugo Dreyfuss which ended in 1960. This rare example is stamped with the Kagan-Dreyfuss branded marks on the underside of the table and under one of the two leaves, and serves as an important early example of this sought-after design, perfect for collectors, art and design investors, and interior designers working on high profile projects. This Model VK-201, described in Kagan's early catalogues as a 'Round Extension Dining Table in walnut with rosewood top' has Kagan's signature gorgeous sculpted legs in solid walnut along with a magnificent vivid-grained Rosewood top. Just look at the closeup photos of the sculpted edges and tailored legs... this table looks more like a sculpture than merely just furniture. Quality of materials and craftsmanship you don't find in todays products - this table is the epitome of the saying 'they don't make them like they used to'. Ultra refinement in this gorgeous collectors piece which extends from a dining or card / game / cafe table seating for four, to a larger dining or meeting table suitable for eight. With no leaves - the table is 48" round and with both leaves extends to 96" while retaining a very nice 48" width. Vladimir Kagan's works have been highly valued by collectors and art / design investors, and his earlier works in the 1950s partnership with Hugo Dreyfuss (Kagan-Dreyfuss from 1950 to 1960) are among the most sought after by 'purist collectors' like myself. Why do I prize his 1950s works above all else? I can write a short book on this, but one easy to explain reason is that this was a period unlike the rest of his career, where items produced in this time are hallmarked within that period - a distinction that his later works lacked. Essentially, everything post the early 60s blended together with the decades thereafter. A novice Kagan collector is content with anything by Kagan, even items produced by Directional and American Leather Company...
Walnut, Rosewood
'Petal' Coffee Table by Richard Schultz for Knoll Associates, 1960s, Signed
By Richard Schultz, Knoll
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This 1st Generation original of the 'Petal' coffee table with Redwood 'petals' by Richard Schultz for Knoll Associates, designed in 1960, is a favorite amongst Mid-Century Modern col...
Iron
Warren Platner Edited by Knoll Carrara Marble Steel Table, USA, 1970s
By Warren Platner
Located in Ibiza, Spain
Dining table designed by Warren Platner edited by Knoll, composed of a steel structure with welded rods creating curved and circular shapes. Tabletop made of Carrara marble, USA, 197...
Carrara Marble, Steel
Marble Dining Table by Warren Platner for Knoll
By Knoll, Warren Platner
Located in Barcelona, ES
Marble dining table designed by Warren Platner for Knoll, USA, 1966. Calacatta marble top and polished nickel steel base.
Marble, Steel
Mid-Century Dining Table by Warren Platner for Knoll, Glass and Metal, 1966
By Warren Platner
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Dining Table by Warren Platner for Knoll, Glass and Metal, 1966
Metal
Warren Platner Marble Top Bronze Dining Table
By Warren Platner
Located in Dallas, TX
A Warren Platner dining table with bronze powder coated base and marble top.
Marble
Dining table in Glass and Nickel Plated Steel, Warren Platner for Knoll, 1960s
By Warren Platner, Knoll
Located in MIlano, IT
American modern dining table in glass and metal by Warren Platner for Knoll 1966 Round dining table with glass top. The structure follows curved lines, opens under the top to support...
Steel, Nickel
Warren Platner Attr. Steel & Glass Dining Table For Knoll
By Warren Platner
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Classic Mid Century design by Warren Platner. Black painted steel and glass dining table originally produced by for Knoll with regimented hourglass form covered with a 3/4" thick bev...
Steel
Modern icons are showing up in gracefully layered dining nooks, living rooms and lounges — proof that great design only gets better with context.
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
