“Gamla Berlin” Easy Chair by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1940s

View Similar Items

Mid-Century “Gamla Berlin” Easy Chair by Carl Malmsten, Sweden 1940s

Midcentury Set of 4 Carl Malmsten Chairs Dining in Pine, Sweden, 1940s

Carl Malmsten, Lounge Chair, Velvet, Birch, Sweden, c. 1940s

Carl Malmsten "Gamla Stan" Armchairs, Sweden ca 1950s

Carl Malmsten Lounge Chair

Pair Swedish Modern Easy Chairs, 1940s

Carl Malmsten, Sofa, Velvet, Birch, Sweden, 1940s

Midcentury Modern Pine Side Chair by Carl Malmsten, Svensk Fur, Sweden, 1940s

Carl Malmsten Easy Chairs Produced by Svensk Fur in Sweden

1940s Gold Colored Velvet Upholstered Lounge Chair By Carl Malmsten Sweden

Pair of Carl Malmsten Swedish Grace Inlaid Side Chairs

1960's Swedish Design by Carl Malmsten Brigitta Dressing Table and Chair

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 19

“Gamla Berlin” Easy Chair by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1940s

About the Item

This “Old Berlin” chair is among Swedish icon, Carl Malmsten’s rarer models. The dark wood, the beautiful upholstery, and Malmsten’s timeless design makes this model a beautiful representation of Sweden’s mid-century design history. This model, like many of Malmsten’s “count chairs”, it is a simplified version of the armchair “Jonas Love”, which Carl Malmsten designed for the New York World Fair in 1939. “Break all edges thoroughly”, was a frequent instruction on Carl Malmsten’s drawings and nature was his great source of inspiration, therefore sharp edges or corners can rarely be found on his designs, including this easy chair. With a tremendous sense of proportion, this chair is very comfortable and fulfil its task to “serve well” and last for lifetimes. This Gamla, or Old Berlin chair stands out for the way in which the upholstered seat leaves the back legs exposed, without any visible joinery. The wooden tapered legs further transcend into the back, holding the back in an elegant, light manner. The backseat has an interesting lightly scalloped top and long horizontal button tufting. The light bouclé upholstery gives an elegant look with its textured look and a cosy sitting experience thanks to its softness. In 1937, Carl Malmsten designed a sofa for the Swedish diplomatic mission in Berlin. He named the sofa Berlin. Perhaps the idea of this easy chair came from the same mission. Up until the post-war era, his designs had been made at the school he started in 1930 and at a number of joinery workshops suited to artisanal production. He established contact with a group of high-quality small industries, the so-called Key Workshops. This chair, however, took form in one of his own Swedish workshops in the second half of the 1940s. Condition: In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The chair has been reupholstered recently in premium white bouclé fabric. Dimensions: 24.8 in W x 29.92 in D x 29.92 in H; Seat height 15.74 in 63 cm W x 76 cm D x 76 cm H; Seat height 40 cm About the Designer: Carl Malmsten (December 7, 1888 – August 13, 1972) was a Swedish furniture designer, architect, and educator. Malmsten was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Malmsten's career took off when he won a competition in 1916 to design furniture for the Stockholm City Hall and shortly after in 1917, he exhibited alongside well-known Swedish architects such as Gunnar Asplund and Uno Åhrén. In the 1920s he was invited to furnish a room for the crown prince, Gustaf VI Adolf, and his wife Louise in Ulriksdal Palace. He was honoured with an inaugural Prince Eugen Medal for design in 1945. Already as a young designer in the early 20th century, Carl Malmsten advocated an artisanal furniture design based on local ingredients and traditions, available to a wide audience at a reasonable price. Nature was Carl Malmsten's foremost teacher and source of inspiration. He conveyed his love of craftsmanship as a teacher in his own schools, at Olofskolan in Stockholm, Capellagården on Öland and the Carl Malmsten school on Lidingö, today a branch of Linköping University and one of the country's leading design colleges. As a debater, Malmsten stormed against functionalism, but in retrospect it can be seen that his ideas often coincided with the rational and frugal style ideals of function. Malmsten has had a lasting influence on Swedish furniture design through the two schools he founded—the Carl Malmsten Furniture Studies (Carl Malmstensskolan), which has been a part of Linköping University since 2000, is situated on the island of Lidingö on the outskirts of Stockholm. Carl Malmsten spoke about the importance of tradition, craftsmanship and the nation. His furniture was in many ways a product of the thoughts and ideals of the time, they have a timeless quality that makes them just as relevant and loved today. ~H. Shipping: This easy chair will be packed and shipped with the greatest care to make sure you will receive the item in gallery condition. Complimentary shipping within the Netherlands.

Creator:
Carl Malmsten (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 29.93 in (76 cm)Width: 24.81 in (63 cm)Depth: 29.93 in (76 cm)
Style:
Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Bouclé
Place of Origin:
Sweden
Period:
1940-1949
Date of Manufacture:
1940s
Condition:
Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. The chair has been reupholstered recently in premium white bouclé fabric.
Seller Location:
Utrecht, NL
Reference Number:
Seller: 202004981stDibs: LU2947323912002

Shop All Carl Malmsten

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.