Florence Schust was born on May 24, 1917 in Saginaw, Michigan. She was an American architect and designer. Schust demonstrated an artistic vision at a young age. She enrolled at the Kingswood School for Girls and attended from 1932 to 1934. Afterwards, she attended the Cranbrook Art Academy through 1935.

Beginning in 1936, Schust explored furniture-making with architects Eero Saarinen and Charles Eames. She attended the Architectural Association in London from 1928 to 1939 and was influenced by Le Corbusier's International style as well. In 1941, Schust moved to New York where she met Hans Knoll, who was establishing his furniture company. The pair married in 1946 and grew their company, Knoll Furniture, into an internationally recognized design firm.

Florence Knoll redefined the standard for the modern corporate interiors of post-war America, introducing the modern notions of efficiency, space planning and comprehensive design to office planning. She was known for assessing each client's needs, defining patterns of use and understanding company hierarchies before presenting a comprehensive design, informed by the principles of modernism.

During her career, Knoll was responsible for the interiors of some of Americas largest corporations, including IBM, GM and CBS. She also contributed to the designs of the Knoll catalog, which included pieces that highlighted her commitment to extensive detail and her command of the modern aesthetic. In 1960, Knoll retired as President of Knoll to become director of design. She resigned this role five years later.