Svensk Fur Malmvall

At 1stDibs, there are many versions of the ideal svensk fur malmvall for your home. Each svensk fur malmvall for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, pine and softwood. Your living room may not be complete without a svensk fur malmvall — find older editions for sale from the 20th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 20th Century. When you’re browsing for the right svensk fur malmvall, those designed in Scandinavian Modern and Mid-Century Modern styles are of considerable interest. You’ll likely find more than one svensk fur malmvall that is appealing in its simplicity, but Svensk Fur and Karl Andersson & Söner produced versions that are worth a look.

Prices for a svensk fur malmvall start at $1,500 and top out at $7,237 with the average selling for $3,618.

Vintage Göran Malmvall furniture reflects the skill and precision of a craftsman focused on geometry and sumptuous simplicity. The Swedish designer's tables and case pieces are sleek and striking, with elegant, clean lines that emphasize the function-first sensibility typically associated with Scandinavian modernism. An adept cabinetmaker with considerable technical expertise, Malmvall created furniture that is widely loved by design enthusiasts all over the world. 

Malmvall was born in Berghem, Sweden, and was the youngest son of Karl Andersson — the master cabinetmaker and founder of the reputable furniture company Karl Andersson & Söner. Malmvall grew up on the small family farm in Berghem with his ten brothers and sisters but was so frequently in the factory that he often slept there.  At the young age of 17, he became a foreman on the production floor and, eventually, factory manager. 

Early on, Malmvall showed a considerable talent for design and began studying furniture-making in his spare time. He took design courses near his hometown, and he was brought into the family business at a young age. Malmvall furthered his studies under the tutelage of Carl Malmsten, a prominent designer and educator associated with Swedish modernism. 

Malmvall became an integral part of Karl Andersson & Söner and one of its leading designers. In 1972, he created the iconic KA72 series of storage cabinets — a completely customizable system that can be purchased with solid-wood or glass-front doors and open shelving. The KA72 collection is still available from Karl Karl Andersson & Söner today and is versatile enough for any room in the home.

Malmvall went on to design for several Scandinavian furniture companies. The slender dining chairs, sofas and tables he created for Svensk Fur are likely his best known designs. He remained a designer for Karl Andersson & Söner until 1982. The designer’s son, Karl Malmvall, is also a successful furniture designer who worked for IKEA.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Göran Malmvall seating, tables, case pieces and more.

Scandinavian modernism is perhaps the warmest and most organic iteration of modernist design. The work of the designers associated with vintage Scandinavian modern furniture was founded on centuries-old beliefs in both quality craftsmanship and the ideal that beauty should enhance even the humblest accessories of daily life.

ORIGINS OF SCANDINAVIAN MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN 

• Emerged in the 1930s 
• Scandinavian design and Nordic design originated primarily in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Norway
• Introduced in the United States in mid-20th century
• Informed by the Bauhaus; influenced American mid-century modernism  

CHARACTERISTICS OF SCANDINAVIAN MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

• Bold, clean lines and simple, sturdy symmetries
• Use of natural materials — native woods such as pine, ash and beech
• Open, airy spaces
• Promotion of functionality
• Emphasis on craftsmanship; rooted in cabinetry profession and traditional construction techniques
• Minimal ornamentation (little to no embellishment)
• A neutral or light color palette owing to prominence of light woods

SCANDINAVIAN MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

• Alvar Aalto
• Hans Wegner
• Kaare Klint
• Arne Jacobsen
• Greta Magnusson Grossman 
• Finn Juhl
• Arne Vodder
• Verner Panton

ICONIC SCANDINAVIAN MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS

• Ant chair
• Grasshopper table lamp
• Wishbone chair
• Stool 60
• Artichoke lamp

VINTAGE SCANDINAVIAN MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

The gentle, organic contours that are typical of Scandinavian design appear in the furnishings and decor created by Danish, Finnish and Swedish designers not as a stylistic gesture, but rather as a practical, ergonomic — and, as importantly, elegant — response to the human form.

Each nation produced exceptional talents in all areas of the applied arts, yet each had its forté. Sweden was home to Greta Magnusson Grossman and Bruno Mathsson — creators of the classic Grasshopper lighting series and Berlin daybed, respectively — but the country excelled most notably at ceramics. In the 1920s at the great Gustavsberg porcelain manufactory, Wilhelm Kåge introduced pieces in the Scandinavian style based on influences from folklore to Cubism; his skills were passed on to his versatile and inspired pupils Berndt Friberg and Stig Lindberg.

Likewise, Finland produced a truly ingenious Scandinavian modern furniture designer in the architect Alvar Aalto, a master at melding function and artistic form in works like the Paimio chair, created in collaboration with his first wife, Aino. Yet Finnish glassware was pre-eminent, crafted in expressive, sculptural designs by Tapio Wirkkala and Timo Sarpaneva.

The Danes excelled at chairs. Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen were exemplars of the country’s facility with wood, particularly teak. 

Wegner created such iconic pieces as the Round chair and the Wishbone chair; Jacobsen — while the revolutionary architect and furniture innovator produced the best-selling plywood Ant chair — designed two classic upholstered pieces of the 1950s: the Swan chair and Egg chair. The list of great Danes could go on and on, including Finn Juhl, a stylistic maverick and maker of the bold Chieftain chair; Poul Kjaerholm, with his lean metal-and-rattan aesthetic; and Verner Panton, who introduced a vibrant Pop note into international design.

Today, decades after their heyday, the prolific, ever-evolving Scandinavian modernists continue to amaze and delight, and interior designers all over the world use their pieces to bring warmth to any given space.

On 1stDibs, you will note both instantly recognizable vintage Scandinavian modern chairs, sofas, rugs and tables — those that have earned iconic status over time — and many new discoveries.