Carl Malmsten Desk, Sweden, 1940s-1950s
View Similar Items
Carl Malmsten Desk, Sweden, 1940s-1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Carl Malmsten (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 37.41 in (95 cm)Width: 41.34 in (105 cm)Depth: 18.51 in (47 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1940s-1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Depth 47-72 cm.
- Seller Location:Stockholm, SE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU100709397643
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 Large Wall Fixtures, Attr. Carl Fagerlund, Sweden 1950sBy Carl FagerlundLocated in Stockholm, SEA pair of large (H 80 cm) wall fixtures. With three bulbs and glass shades on each fixture. Brass base. Sweden 1950s.Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass
- Göran Malmvall, Rocking Chair, Sweden, 1940sBy Goran MalmvallLocated in Stockholm, SERocking chair designed by Göran Malmvall, Svensk fur/Swedish pine for Karl Andersson & Söner. Made in the 1940s. Thus style of pine furniture were d...Category
Vintage 1940s European Scandinavian Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsPine
- Occasional Table, Marble Top by Josef Frank, Firma Svenskt Tenn, 1940s-1950sBy Svenskt Tenn, Josef FrankLocated in Stockholm, SEAn occasional table with marble top. Designed by Josef Frank for Firma Svenskt Tenn, 1940s-1950s.Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsMarble
- Carl Aubock, Letter Opener, Leather and Brass, Austria, 1950sBy Werkstätte Carl AuböckLocated in Stockholm, SELetter opener by Carl Auböck. Made in brass with leather handle, Austria, 1950s.Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Letter Openers
MaterialsBrass
- Table Mirror by Josef Frank, Firma Svenskt Tenn, Brass, Sweden, 1950sBy Nordiska KompanietLocated in Stockholm, SETable mirror in brass designed by Josef Frank for Firma Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1950s. Four pieces available, two different sizes. Measures: Height 47, diameter 38 cm 3 500 USD ...Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Table Mirrors
MaterialsBrass
- A Pair of Wall Fixtures / Sconces, Carl Fagerlund for Orrefors, SwedenBy Carl Fagerlund, OrreforsLocated in Stockholm, SEA pair of textured bent glass sconces with brass backplate, by designer Carl Fagerlund for Orrefors.Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass
- Desk Fryklund in pine by Carl MalmstenBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Göteborg, SEThe desk "Fryklund" by Carl Malmsten in pine is a classic and timeless high-quality piece of furniture, designed to suit both modern and traditional home interiors. Made from solid p...Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsPine
- Midcentury Pine Occasional Table by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1940sBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Stockholm, SEBeautiful occasional table by Carl Malmsten, made from pine with lovely woodgrain. Smooth, rounded forms.Category
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsPine
- Midcentury Pine Coffee Table by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1940sBy Svensk Fur, Carl MalmstenLocated in Stockholm, SESleek round coffee table by Carl Malmsten, made from pine. Tripod base, table top with slightly upturned edge.Category
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsPine
- Console Table "Sportstugemöbel" by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1950sBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Hägersten, SEConsole or dining table designed by Carl Malmsten in 1953 model "Visingsö", This early example from the Beginning of the 1950s without the added screws on the short ends and visible ...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Console Tables
MaterialsPine
- 1940s Swedish Sculpted Cocktail or Center Table by Carl MalmstenBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Sagaponack, NYA remarkable and elegant Cuban mahogany round center table with a sculpted tripod base.Category
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Center Tables
MaterialsMahogany
- Midcentury "Party Cart" serving cart by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1940sBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Stockholm, SEAdorable serving cart by Carl Malmsten, called “Kalasskrindan”, which means “Party Trolley”. Sleek lines with nicely curved handle. Removable tray on legs.Category
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsPine