Pair of Lounge Chairs by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1930s
View Similar Items
Pair of Lounge Chairs by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1930s
About the Item
- Creator:Carl Malmsten (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.71 in (78 cm)Width: 24.81 in (63 cm)Depth: 29.14 in (74 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1930s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Very good vintage condition consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Stockholm, SE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1638225718472
Carl Malmsten
Carl Malmsten, a prominent furniture designer and educator associated with Swedish modernism, enjoyed immense popularity for his shapely sofas and armchairs in luscious color palettes. Malmsten believed that light — much like our eyes and bodies — doesn’t like to bump into sharp objects. Smooth edges, on the other hand, are kinder to the eye and and to our touch, and allow light to softly bounce off surfaces. Malmsten felt that if his furniture didn’t “serve well” in the home, it had no business being there.
Malmsten’s career essentially began in 1915, when his submissions for a competition to furnish the new Stockholm City Hall were first- and second-place prize winners. In the 1920s, his profile soared. He won a prize at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts — the show that brought the Art Deco style to worldwide attention — and quickly became one of the most sought-after designers of commercial seating in Sweden.
Malmsten was soon contracted to design chairs, tables and other furniture for the Stockholm Concert Hall, the Swedish Institute in Rome and the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York. His famous Art Nouveau-influenced Stadshusstolen chair, designed for Stockholm City Hall in 1916, is a highlight of the city’s recently opened Museum of Furniture Studies. Malmsten expanded into interior design and created a luxurious, well-appointed living room in the palace of then-Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and his bride, Crown Princess Louise.
In the 1930s, Malmsten clashed with critics when he voiced his opposition to functionalism. Like Danish modernist Kaare Klint, he favored using quality local materials and prized traditional craftsmanship. Malmsten’s furniture draws on graceful neoclassical influences, and he said that extreme functionalism contributed to “sterile” interiors — while the curving contours of his work may share ground with furniture designed by Alvar Aalto or Bruno Mathsson, Malmsten differed with Bauhaus eminences and some Scandinavian modernists on their prioritization of functionalism.
For an exhibition in 1956 at the Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg, Malmsten designed furniture that was intended for mass production — and his striking designs began to make their way into middle-class Swedish homes owing to Malmsten’s partnerships with manufacturers such as O.H. Sjögren. Until then, he had built his pieces at the school he founded in the 1930s or had them made by artisans at several small local workshops.
Malmsten founded a number of schools for design and collaborated with other designers who shared his philosophy of “hand and mind in creative collaboration.” These included the esteemed textile artist Märta Måås Fjetterström, whose pieces he included in exhibits and even his own home.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Carl Malmsten seating, tables, cabinets and more.
- Pair of Side Chairs by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1930sBy Carl Malmsten, NK (Nordiska Kompaniet)Located in Stockholm, SEPair of beautiful side chairs by Carl Malmsten. Made from stained wood with rattan backs, contrasting elegantly in color. Lovely, flowing lines, light expression.Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsRattan, Wood
- Midcentury "Haga" chest of drawers by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1930sBy Carl Malmsten, Nordiska KompanietLocated in Stockholm, SEElegant “Haga” chest of drawers by Carl Malmsten, made with stained birch veneer laid in a discreet pattern. Black painted legs and table top. Adorable handles in the form of crowns.Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsBirch
- Midcentury "Haga" dining table by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1930sBy Nordiska Kompaniet, Carl MalmstenLocated in Stockholm, SEElegant “Haga” dining table by Carl Malmsten, with a curvesome stained wooden base. Round table top with warm mahogany veneer in a checkered pattern.Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsBirch
- Swedish Sheepskin Lounge Chair, 1930sLocated in Stockholm, SEAmazing Swedish 1930s lounge chair in an oversized design with clean lines. Upholstered with sheepskin in a warm nuance, enhancing the inviting look of the chair.Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSheepskin
- Pair of Lounge Chairs by Carl-Axel Acking for Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden, 1950sBy Carl-Axel Acking, NK (Nordiska Kompaniet)Located in Stockholm, SEPair of rare lounge chairs by Carl-Axel Acking in an imposing, luxurious design. Hefty oak frame with wide armrests and an elegant, open silhouette. Rust red leather upholstery.Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- Pair of "Haga" Side Tables by Carl MalmstenBy Carl Malmsten, NK (Nordiska Kompaniet)Located in Stockholm, SEPair of beautiful bedside tables by Carl Malmsten, model named “Haga”. Made in alder root and stained birch. On the sides the wood is laid in a...Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsBirch
$5,565 / set
- Pair of Carl Malmsten Armchairs in Birch and Satinwood, Bodafors, Sweden, 1930sBy SMF Svenska Möbelfabriken Bodafors, Carl MalmstenLocated in The Hague, NLThis exceptionally rare pair of armchairs was designed by Carl Malmsten and produced by Svenska Möbelfabriken in Bodafors, Sweden in the early 1930s. The refined design is marked by ...Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Birch, Satinwood, Fabric, Cotton, Jacquard, Linen
- Carl Malmsten 'Redet' Lounge ChairBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Waalwijk, NLCarl Malmsten, ‘Redet’ lounge chair, stained mahogany, reupholstered in Métaphores “Eden Citrine” fabric, Sweden, design 1936, production 1937. Crafted in 1937, the 'Redet' easy cha...Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Mahogany
- Pair of Vintage Swedish Armchairs by Carl MalmstenBy Carl MalmstenLocated in London, GBA stunning and exceedingly rare pair of vintage Swedish armchairs by Carl Malmsten. They were recently imported from Sweden, they date from the 1940-50’s. This early model is of sup...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
$10,273 / set - Pair of Vintage Swedish Samsas Armchairs by Carl MalmstenBy Carl MalmstenLocated in London, GBA stunning pair of vintage Swedish Samsas armchairs by Carl Malmsten. They were recently imported from Sweden, they date from around the 1960’s. The quality is absolutely outstandin...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBouclé, Beech
- Carl Malmsten, Pair of Konsert Lounge Chairs for Stockholm Concert Hall, 1926By Carl MalmstenLocated in Uppsala, SEVery rare and important lounge chairs, model Konsert, designed by the grandfather of Swedish design, Carl Malmsten, for Stockholms Konserthus (Stockholm Concert Hall) in 1923. An early piece in his production. The concert hall was designed by Swedish architect Ivar Tengbom...Category
Vintage 1920s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsVelvet, Birch
- Carl Malmsten for O. H. Sjögren Lounge Chairs Model ‘Farmor’By Carl Malmsten, O.H. SjögrenLocated in Waalwijk, NLCarl Malmsten for O. H. Sjögren, lounge chairs model ‘Farmor’, fabric wood, Sweden, design 1956 Swedish furniture designer Carl Malmsten cooperated in the 1950s with small Swedish c...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood