Pair of Side Chairs by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1930s

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.

Since its inception, luxury retailer Nordiska Kompaniet, known affectionately to its customers as “NK,” has offered an influential platform for innovators in furniture design. Its department stores in Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden, have been home to many of the top names in mid-century modern design and in Scandinavian modernism. Admired for its production of high-quality pieces, it continues to support forward-looking designers.

Nordiska Kompaniet was founded in 1902 through the merger of the companies K.M. Lundberg and Joseph Leja. Its founder, Josef Sachs, envisioned a department store as a cultural arena that would rival the luxury stores of Paris. He opened a flagship store in Stockholm in 1915. Early on, the brand set its sights on quality furniture making, bringing on master cabinetmaker Axel Einar Hjorth, who headed its production from 1927 to 1938. 

The Stockholm Exhibition of 1930 was pivotal for both Nordiska Kompaniet and the world of design as a whole. NK’s installation, designed by Sven Markelius, positioned the artist as a key influencer and force majeure of Swedish functionalism.

Nordiska Kompaniet has continued to hire renowned designers throughout its operations, including such luminaries as Carl Bergsten, David Rosen and Gio Ponti. Many iconic sofas, lounge chairs, bookcases and dining room tables from the mid-century modern period originated in its furniture shop. The brand has also been at the forefront of textile, ceramic and wallpaper design, with artists Berndt Friberg, Josef Frank, Stig Lindberg and Elsa Gullberg among those who have contributed to NK’s brand legacy.

To cater to its growing customer base, Nordiska Kompaniet opened a second store in Gothenburg in 1971. Today, NK continues to provide patronage to top designers, remaining a leader in high-end furniture production. 

Find antique and vintage Nordiska Kompaniet tables, seating, mirrors, lighting and other furniture on 1stDibs.