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.
Carl Malmsten for O.H. Sjögren 'Farmor' Armchair in Honey Sheepskin, 1950s
By O.H. Sjögren, Carl Malmsten
Located in Prague, New Town
'Farmor' armchair, designed by Carl Malmsten in 1956. Produced by O.H. Sjögren in Sweden, 1950s. Recently reupholstered in honey sheepskin. Dimensions: Height: 103 cm / 40.55 in Wid...
Sheepskin, Wood
Scandinavian Swedish Modern Carl Malmsten Samsas White Bouclé Armchairs
By O.H. Sjögren, Carl Malmsten
Located in Kramfors, SE
Carl Malmsten Samsas armchairs for O.H. Sjögren from the mid 20th century. The chairs are a Swedish modern classic and the Samsas series is today recognised as the most characteristi...
Bouclé, Wood
$12,925 / set
Pair of Carl Malmsten of Armchairs, circa 1950s
By Carl Malmsten
Located in London, England
Carl Malmsten Armchairs, circa 1950s A pair of upholstered armchairs from Swedish master: Carl Malmsten. This model is a lighter variation on the Samsas chair with taller legs. This...
Bouclé, Beech
Swedish Modern Samsas armchair by Carl Malmsten 1950's
By O.H. Sjögren, Carl Malmsten
Located in Uccle, BE
This Samsas armchair has been reupholstered in a cotton blend-Villa Nova Bari fabric parchment color. This armchair was created by Carl Malmsten, one of Sweden's best known furnitur...
Cotton, Beech
Vintage Swedish Cirkus Armchair by Carl Malmsten
By Carl Malmsten
Located in London, GB
A stylish and iconic vintage Swedish Cirkus armchair by Carl Malmsten. It was made in Sweden, it dates from around the 1960’s. This is a very rare model, it is of exceptional qualit...
Bouclé, Wood
Pair of Scandinavian armchairs 'Stora Furulid' in sheepskin by Carl Malmsten
By Carl Malmsten
Located in Eindhoven, NL
A stunning pair of armchairs by the famous furniture designer- Carl Malmsten. These iconic chairs provides great comfort and are of enduring quality. Back tufted by buttons, elegant...
Sheepskin, Wood
Vintage Swedish Samspel Armchair by Carl Malmsten
By Carl Malmsten
Located in London, GB
A stylish and extremely well made vintage Swedish Samspel armchair by Carl Malmsten. It was made in Sweden, it dates from around the 1960’s. This is of exceptional quality and is ex...
Bouclé, Wood
Carl Malmsten Upholstered Armchairs for O.H. Sjögren, Sweden, 1960s
By Carl Malmsten, O.H. Sjögren
Located in Utrecht, NL
Carl Malmsten devoted his life to the renewal of traditional Swedish craftsmanship, inspired by Swedish country manors and rustic styles. In this spirit, his armchairs are regarded t...
Fabric, Wood
$2,124Sale Price|20% Off
1950s, Lilac Wool Armchair By Carl Malmsten For O.H. Sjogren.
By O.H. Sjögren, Carl Malmsten
Located in Silvolde, Gelderland
1950s armchair designed by Carl Malmsten for O.H. Sjögren, Sweden. This elegant Scandinavian piece features Malmsten’s signature soft, organic lines and exceptional craftsmanship. Up...
Wool, Beech, Oak
Vintage Scandinavian Modern Carl Malmsten Samsas Original Armchair
By O.H. Sjögren, Carl Malmsten
Located in Kramfors, SE
Carl Malmsten Samsas armchair for O.H. Sjögren from the mid 20th century. The chair is a Swedish modern classic and the Samsas series is today recognised as the most characteristic d...
Fabric, Wood
Pair of Vintage Swedish Samsas Armchairs by Carl Malmsten
By Carl Malmsten
Located in London, GB
A 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...
Bouclé, Beech
Carl Malmsten Pair of 'Hängsits' Armchairs in Solid Pine, 1947
By Carl Malmsten
Located in Prague, New Town
Pair of 'Hängsits' armchairs, designed by Carl Malmsten in Sweden in 1947. Solid pine, recently reupholstered in blue fabric. Marked 'CM' to the underside. Dimensions: Height: 78 cm...
Fabric, Pine
Pair of Vintage Swedish Samsas Armchairs by Carl Malmsten
By Carl Malmsten
Located in London, GB
A 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...
Bouclé, Beech
Pair of Vintage Swedish Cirkus Armchairs by Carl Malmsten
By Carl Malmsten
Located in London, GB
A stylish and iconic pair of vintage Swedish Cirkus armchairs by Carl Malmsten. They were made in Sweden, and they date from around the 1960’s. This is a very rare model, they are o...
Bouclé, Wood
Vintage Swedish Armchair by Carl Malmsten
By Carl Malmsten, O.H. Sjögren
Located in London, GB
A stylish and extremely comfortable vintage Swedish armchair by Carl Malmsten. This model is very rare, it is an early model made by O.H. Sjogren. We have recently imported it from S...
Bouclé, Wood
Carl Malmsten and Yngve Ekström Pair of "Caryngo" Chairs
By Carl Malmsten, Swedese, Yngve Ekström
Located in Long Island City, NY
The Caryngo chair was a collaboration between the great Swedish designers Carl Malmsten and Yngve Ekström, for Ekström’s furniture manufacturing company Swedese. The original saddle ...
Leather, Oak
Carl Malmsten for O.H. Sjögren 'Farmor' Armchair in Grey Lambswool, 1950s
By Carl Malmsten, O.H. Sjögren
Located in Brescia, Brescia
An iconic and timeless armchair, the "Farmor" (Grandmother) model, designed by Carl Malmsten in the 1950s and produced by O.H. Sjögren in Sweden. This piece is among Malmsten’s most ...
Lambskin, Leather, Pine
Pair of Carl Malmsten Armchairs in Birch and Satinwood, Bodafors, Sweden, 1930s
By SMF Svenska Möbelfabriken Bodafors, Carl Malmsten
Located in The Hague, NL
This 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 ...
Fabric, Cotton, Jacquard, Linen, Upholstery, Birch, Satinwood
Carl Malmsten armchair 'Stora Furulid' in sheepskin for O.H.Sjögren ca. 1950
By Carl Malmsten, O.H. Sjögren
Located in Eindhoven, NL
A stunning armchair by the famous furniture designer- Carl Malmsten. This iconic chair provides great comfort and is of enduring quality. Back tufted by buttons, elegant arm curves ...
Sheepskin, Wood
Pair of Carl Malmsten Art Deco Swedish Inlaid High Back Upholstered Armchairs
By Carl Malmsten
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of Swedish Art Deco (1930s) high back armchairs with burl wood veneer frames featuring an inlaid geometric floral design across the top back rails, two shallow wings topped with...
Fabric
Vintage Swedish Samsas Armchair by Carl Malmsten
By Carl Malmsten
Located in London, GB
A stylish and iconic vintage Swedish Samsas armchair by Carl Malmsten. It was made in Sweden, it dates from around the 1960’s. This is of exceptional quality and is extremely comfor...
Bouclé, Wood
$9,800 / set
Carl Malmsten Visingo Chairs
By Carl Malmsten
Located in New York, NY
A Pair of Carl Malmsten Visingo Chairs all original. A spectacular pair of Carl Malmsten Visingo Chairs for AB O.H. Sjogren Stoppmobler in Oak. In good original condition complete wi...
Oak
Carl Malmsten "Lillasyster" Easy Chair for OH Sjögren, Sweden 20th Century
By Carl Malmsten, O.H. Sjögren
Located in Utrecht, NL
Carl Malmsten’s “Lillasyster” (little sister) easy chair is a stunning representation of the Swedish designer’s craftsmanship and creativity. “Neither light, nor eyes, nor people lik...
Fabric, Wood
Pair of Vintage Swedish Armchairs by Carl Malmsten
By Carl Malmsten
Located in London, GB
A stunning and exceedingly rare pair of vintage Swedish armchairs by Carl Malmsten. They were recently imported from Sweden, they dat...
Wood, Cotton
“Farmor” Armchair by Carl Malmsten for O.H. Sjögren, Sweden 1950s
By Carl Malmsten
Located in Utrecht, NL
In the mid-1950s, Carl Malmsten awarded ten small furniture companies, mainly in Småland, the honour of making a series of some of his products. Among the first pieces was “Farmor”, which soon became the most popular armchair model. In 1956, Carl Malmsten was on one of his regular visits to Sjögren's Upholstery Workshop in Tranås to develop new models for his furniture program. That was when this “Grandma” chair...
Fabric, Wood
Pair of “New Berlin” Easy Chairs by Carl Malmsten, Sweden 20th Century
By O.H. Sjögren, Carl Malmsten
Located in Utrecht, NL
These “New Berlin” chairs are among Swedish icon Carl Malmsten’s rarer models. The dark wood, the beautiful upholstery and timeless, clean design makes the “New Berlin” model a beaut...
Fabric, Wood
Vintage Swedish Armchair by Carl Malmsten
By Carl Malmsten
Located in London, GB
A stylish and extremely comfortable vintage Swedish armchair by Carl Malmsten. This model is very rare, it is called the ‘Stora Furulid’. We have recently imported it from Sweden, it...
Fabric, Wood
“Farmor” Armchair by Carl Malmsten for O.H. Sjögren, Sweden, 1956
By O.H. Sjögren, Carl Malmsten
Located in Utrecht, NL
In the mid-1950s, Carl Malmsten awarded ten small furniture companies, mainly in Småland, the honour of making a series of some of his products. Among the first pieces was Farmor, wh...
Fabric, Wood
Pair of Vintage Swedish Samsas Armchairs by Carl Malmsten
By Carl Malmsten
Located in London, GB
A 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...
Bouclé, Beech
Carl Malmsten "Stora Furulid" Armchair for OPE-Möbler Jönköping, Sweden 1950s
By Carl Malmsten
Located in Utrecht, NL
There is a certain “Malmstenesque” charm to the Swedish designer’s pieces that manifests in the gentle but defined curves, cosy appearance and in the modern way Carl Malmsten skilfully carried the heritage of traditional allmoge (folk art) design. The expression “Swedish Modern” was first used at the 1939 New York World Fair, when the designer introduced the model “Oskar”. Similarly to that model, Malmsten remained a traditionalist, mainly concerned with comfort regarding the “Stora Furulid...
Fabric, Wood
$2,661 / set
Pair of "Lata Greven" armchairs by Carl Malmsten
By Carl Malmsten, O.H. Sjögren
Located in Brescia, IT
Pair of Swedish armchairs with a wrap-around profile, integrated armrests and light-colored upholstery with a textured, elegant and understated texture. Designed by Carl Malmsten ar...
Fabric, Beech
Carl Malmsten “Stugan” Armchairs for Karl Andersson & Söner, Sweden 1940s
By Carl Malmsten
Located in Utrecht, NL
This pair demonstrates Carl Malmsten’s fine sense of proportion, line tension and balance between the surfaces, and how skillfully he carried in the heritage of traditional allmoge (...
Fabric, Oak
“Farmor” Armchairs by Carl Malmsten for O.H. Sjögren, Sweden, 1956
By Carl Malmsten, O.H. Sjögren
Located in Utrecht, NL
In the mid-1950s, Carl Malmsten awarded ten small furniture companies, mainly in Småland, the honour of making a series of some of his products. Among the first pieces was Farmor, wh...
Fabric, Wood
20th Century Single Swedish Armchair - Vintage Side Chair by Carl Malmsten
By Carl Malmsten
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A white-grey, vintage Mid-Century Modern Swedish anonymous armchair with two pillows, designed by Carl Malmsten, in good condition. The seat backrest of single Scandinavian Little Fu...
Fabric, Upholstery, Birch
$14,286 / set
Pair of Carl Malmsten of Armchairs, circa 1950s
By Carl Malmsten
Located in London, England
Carl Malmsten Armchairs, circa 1950s A pair of upholstered armchairs from Swedish master: Carl Malmsten. This model is a lighter variation on the Samsas chair with taller legs. Th...
Bouclé, Beech
Carl Malmsten "Gamla Stan" Armchairs, Sweden ca 1950s
By Carl Malmsten
Located in Utrecht, NL
Carl Malmsten has designed over 1000 different furniture models, most of which were named, giving his models even more character. “Gamla Stan”, Swedish for ...
Fabric, Wood
Carl Malmsten Pair of 'Farmor' Armchairs in Honey Sheepskin, 1950s
By O.H. Sjögren, Carl Malmsten
Located in Prague, New Town
Pair of 'Farmor' armchairs, designed by Carl Malmsten in 1956. Produced by O.H. Sjögren in Sweden, 1950s. Recently reupholstered in honey sheepskin. Dimensions: Height: 103 cm / 40....
Sheepskin, Wood
Price Upon Request
Rare High Back Chair with Pillow by Carl Malmsten, circa 1940
By Carl Malmsten
Located in New York, NY
Rare and comfortable high back chair with pillow attached by leather straps. New Upholstery and mahogany excellent condition. Carl Malmsten (Swedish 1888-1972) High back chair w...
Upholstery, Mahogany