Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 17

Swedish Modern Upholstered Armchair by Axel Larsson 'Attr.', Sweden, Ca 1950s

About the Item

Axel Larsson was an incredibly productive Swedish furniture architect and designer with a more than 50-year long career. This armchair is a rarity, despite Larsson being most well-known for his furniture series designed for and mass-produced by SMF Bodafors. This particular chair takes inspiration from the uplifting, pared-down aesthetic of Scandinavian design. The design consists of a smooth sculptural frame crafted in curved and stained wood that frames a finely tailored seat and back. The streamlined design of the wood structure immediately stands out for its pronounced lines and airy construction. It shows off the architectural precision put into both the design and into the execution. The curve of the arms and legs - formed of a single piece of wood - defines the look and is perfectly balanced by the straight stretchers connecting the legs. The other defining feature is the obtuse angle created by the reclined position of the back and the raised seat. This angle is also followed by the frame and as a result the aesthetic is dynamic but still exudes the functional cosiness of Swedish design. There is a clear emphasis on comfort, from the tilted back to the sculpted, wide armrests and the seat cushion. The light upholstery complements that dark stained wood by creating an apparent contrast both in colour and texture. Axel Larsson also designed furniture for individual carpenters in Stockholm; these were made in small numbers, and this armchair may be one of these rare designs. Swedish Modern style is delicately scaled, using tapering legs and clever but simple solutions as seen on this chair as well. Subtitled “A Movement Towards Sanity in Design”, it also describes quality and the ability to lend grace to the daily chores of life. Condition: In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The chair has been reupholstered recently in a premium fabric. Each of our items can be re-upholstered by our in-house atelier in a fabric of choice. Please reach out for more information. Dimensions: 25.59 in W x 30.31 in D x 30.9 in H; Seat height 21.65 in; Arm height 25.19 in 65 cm W x 77 cm D x 78.5 cm H; Seat height 55 cm; Arm height 64 cm About the Designer: Axel Larsson was born in 1898 in Torp socken, Sweden. Larsson was a professional for more than 50 years and belonged to a handful of furniture and interior designers who played a major role and influenced the development of their professional sphere. He grew up in Medelpad, and as a young carpenter's apprentice, he was given the opportunity to study further in Stockholm as a furniture designer through a scholarship from 1916 to 1920. In parallel with his studies at the Higher School of Art and Design, he was a furniture designer under Carl Malmsten during his work with furniture for Stockholm City Hall. During the 1920s, he made study trips to Europe, including the Paris Exhibition of 1925. Larsson started his own business in 1956, but continued working for the Swedish furniture factories in Bodafors. At this time, he also designed furniture for other companies, such as Balzar Beskow AB. Larsson was an old-fashioned person in the sense that he did not strive to be seen himself. He was employed for 30 years at Svenska Möbelfabrikerna in Bodafors, which was seldom interested in marketing the individual designer but rather the company. When Larsson collaborated with building architects, the situation was the same. Likewise, his philosophy was that the expediency of a piece of furniture was essential, not a startling form. Even though he was not a pure-minded functionalist, the function was always in focus for his furniture and interior design. Furniture from his first major furniture series was shown at the Stockholm Exhibition in 1930. He created a high number of pieces of furniture and many significant furnishings for public premises. His major projects included Gothenburg Concert Hall, Park Avenue Hotel in Gothenburg and Folksamhuset at Skanstull in Stockholm. A large part of his sketches and drawings are preserved in the Design Archive at Pukeberg glassworks, and he is represented at, among others, the National Museum in Stockholm and the Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg. ~H.
  • Attributed to:
    Axel Larsson (Designer)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 30.91 in (78.5 cm)Width: 25.6 in (65 cm)Depth: 30.32 in (77 cm)Seat Height: 21.66 in (55 cm)
  • Style:
    Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1950s
  • Condition:
    Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. The chair has been reupholstered recently in a premium fabric. Each of our items can be re-upholstered by our in-house atelier in a fabric of choice. Please reach out for more information.
  • Seller Location:
    Utrecht, NL
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 202211131stDibs: LU2947332214852
More From This SellerView All
  • Swedish Cabinetmaker Armchair, Sweden ca 1950s
    Located in Utrecht, NL
    Mid-century modern is to-the-point and no-nonsense, much like the straightforward interior style, which championed notions of functionality, ease and modern simplicity. This armchair...
    Category

    Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

    Materials

    Fabric, Wood

  • Scandinavian Cabinetmaker Upholstered Armchair, Scandinavia ca 1950s
    Located in Utrecht, NL
    Scandinavian Modernism can be visually described by this beautiful armchair: sleek, organic and timeless. These attributes are met with high quality materials and the famous craftsma...
    Category

    Vintage 1950s Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

    Materials

    Fabric, Wool, Wood

  • 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 ...
    Category

    Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs

    Materials

    Fabric, Wood

  • Finnish Mid-Century Upholstered Armchair, Finland ca 1950s
    Located in Utrecht, NL
    Throughout the Nordic countries, there's a long history of pride in the craftsmanship of using natural materials like wood. This beautiful armchair is a great representation of the q...
    Category

    Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

    Materials

    Fabric, Wood

  • Swedish Modern Upholstered Armchairs, Sweden 1940s
    Located in Utrecht, NL
    The term Swedish Modern was quickly established as a reinterpretation of modernity during the 1940s, and the new Swedish Modern style, early and square functionalism was replaced by ...
    Category

    Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs

    Materials

    Fabric, Wood

  • European Cabinetmaker Armchair Upholstered in Wool, Europe ca 1950s
    Located in Utrecht, NL
    This beautiful European cabinetmaker armchair recalls the peak of Mid-Century Modern design on the continent. Cabinetmakers led the way in furniture design during the 1950s, combinin...
    Category

    Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

    Materials

    Wool, Wood

You May Also Like
  • Axel Larsson Armchair for Bodafors
    By Axel Larsson
    Located in San Francisco, CA
    Axel Larsson design armchair for Bodafors, Sweden. Made with a solid birch wood sculpted frame with and interesting design arm that has just been newly strengthened and refinished. N...
    Category

    Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs

    Materials

    Upholstery, Birch

  • Axel Larsson Armchair in Bouclé and Mahogany, Sweden, 1940s
    By Slagelse Mobelvaerk, Axel Larsson, SMF Svenska Möbelfabriken Bodafors
    Located in The Hague, NL
    This rare armchair was designed by Axel Larsson and produced in Sweden in the 1940s. The elegant and dynamic design is formed by the curved shape of the armrests and backrest. The le...
    Category

    Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs

    Materials

    Fabric, Wool, Bouclé, Upholstery, Wood

  • Armchair in the Manner of Axel Larsson Produced in Sweden
    By Axel Larsson
    Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
    Armchair in the manner of Axel Larsson. Produced in Sweden.
    Category

    Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs

    Materials

    Leather, Beech

  • Rare Set of Eight Stockable Armchairs by Axel Larsson
    By Axel Larsson
    Located in Vienna, AT
    Axel Larsson for Svängsta Stilmöbler, the second half of the 20th century, set of eight armchairs, frame in solid birch, seat and back in layer-molded birch veneer, stackable.  
    Category

    Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs

    Materials

    Birch

  • Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chair and Footstool by Axel Larsson, Sweden, 1950s
    By Axel Larsson, Bodafors
    Located in Stockholm, SE
    Amazing lounge chair by Axel Larsson, made from teak with original wreathed blue leather. Neck cushion. Bold lines create a very cool silhouette.
    Category

    Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs

    Materials

    Leather, Teak

  • Oak & Teal Leather Armchair, Axel Larsson, 1936
    By Axel Larsson
    Located in London, GB
    An astonishingly visually-light armchair designed by Axel Larsson in 1936 for AB Svenska Möbelfabrikerna in Bodafors, Sweden. The open and slender frame of the chair is made from ...
    Category

    Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs

    Materials

    Oak, Leather

Recently Viewed

View All