A Brief History of Knolling

Knolling looks like a thousand-year-old Japanese technique. In fact it’s a Western invention, and a recent one.

Origin, 1987

Knolling started in the USA, in 1987. Andrew Kromelow worked as a janitor at Frank Gehry’s furniture workshop. At the end of each day he laid out the tools, arranging them at right angles, so that everything was in plain sight. He named the technique “knolling” after Knoll, the furniture company known for its clean, angular lines.

Always be Knolling, 1990s–2009

The sculptor Tom Sachs worked in the same shop in those years. He liked the method and later brought it into his own studio, where “Always be Knolling” became one of the ten bullets of his studio manual. Four steps:

1. Look around for anything not in use - materials, tools, books.
2. Put it away. “If you aren’t sure, leave it out.”
3. Group like objects together.
4. Square everything to the surface it rests on, or to the studio itself.

The last step is the whole idea. Right angles, nothing on a diagonal.

Knolling photography, 2010–2013

In those years a few events brought knolling to a wider audience. Photographer Todd Selby published photos of Tom Sachs’ studio on his site. Austin Radcliffe launched Things Organized Neatly, a photo blog - and it’s still updating today, check its collection! Designer Andrew Kim published the book 90 Degrees: An Experience About Knolling. And in 2013 the subreddit r/knolling appeared.

Instagram wave, 2014–2018

In 2014 knolling took over Instagram, mixing with flat lay, another popular style. Thousands of people arranged their things in a grid and posted the results. The EDC community (everyday carry) loved it especially - knolling is a good way to show what you carry every day.

Knolling today

It’s not a big trend anymore, more of an established style. You’ve definitely seen the pictures, and maybe arranged something yourself. And now you can try knolling in our app.