Pair of Carl Malmsten Side Chairs Svensk Fur Sweden, 1940
View Similar Items
Pair of Carl Malmsten Side Chairs Svensk Fur Sweden, 1940
About the Item
- Creator:Svensk Fur (Manufacturer),Carl Malmsten (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.5 in (80 cm)Width: 16.54 in (42 cm)Depth: 18.12 in (46 cm)Seat Height: 17.72 in (45 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1940
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. The chairs have been fully refinished with high quality UV protection lacquer so these look perfect again.
- Seller Location:Roosendaal, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU93305117623
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.
- Peter Hvidt and Orla Molgaard Nielsen Portex Easy Chairs, 1944By Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, Peter HvidtLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantFantastic pair of easy chairs designed by Peter Hvidt (Designer) and Orla Molgaar Nielsen (Architect and Designer) for Portex, Denmark 1944. This chair was originally designed as stacking armchair for dining...Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Martin Visser Modernist Chair SE20 Spectrum, 1988By Martin VisserLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantRare modernist side chair designed by Martin Visser and manufactured by ’t Spectrum Bergeyk, 1988. This chair is model number SE20 and was made in several color combinations. This is...Category
Vintage 1980s Dutch Post-Modern Chairs
MaterialsPlywood
- Emiel Veranneman Osaka Chair De Coene Belgium 1968By De Coene Frères, Emiel VerannemanLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantBeautiful 'Osaka' chair designed by Emiel Veranneman and manufactured by De Coene, Belgium 1968. The Osaka dining chair was designed by Emiel Veranneman and usd at the Belgian pavili...Category
Vintage 1970s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- Martin Visser Modernist Prototype Chair SE20 Spectrum, 1988By Martin VisserLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantRare prototype side chair designed by Martin Visser and manufactured by ’t Spectrum Bergeyk 1988. This chair is the pre production of model number SE20 and was eventually made in sev...Category
Vintage 1980s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsPlywood
- Bruno Ninaber Van Eyben 020 Chair Artifort 1977By Artifort, Bruno Ninaber van EybenLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantExquisite piece of Dutch design, this model 020 chair designed by Bruno Ninaber van Eyben which was manufactured by Artifort, The Netherlands 1977. This ...Category
Vintage 1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsPlywood
- Friso Kramer Revolt Folding Chair for Ahrend de Cirkel, 1953By Friso KramerLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantRare Revolt folding chair designed by Friso Kramer for Ahrend de Cirkel, Holland 1953. Though the Revolt chair was already designed in 1953, the production started in 1958. The chair...Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Midcentury Modern Pine Side Chair by Carl Malmsten, Svensk Fur, Sweden, 1940sBy Svensk Fur, Carl MalmstenLocated in Stockholm, SE"Sörgården" pine chair by Carl Malmsten, with a low seat height that fits well with a coffee table or as a bedside table. Rustic modernist design with...Category
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsPine
- Pair of Side Chairs by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1930sBy Carl Malmsten, NK (Nordiska Kompaniet)Located in Stockholm, SEPair of beautiful side chairs by Carl Malmsten. Made from stained wood with rattan backs, contrasting elegantly in color. Lovely, flowing lines, light expression.Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsRattan, Wood
- Carl Malmsten Bench for Svensk Fur, Sweden, 1960By Svensk Fur, Carl MalmstenLocated in Amsterdam, NLA wonderful pine wooden bench designed by Carl Malmsten, manufactured by Svensk Fur in Sweden around 1960. The bench is made of warm brown coloured pine wood. The narrow rectangu...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Benches
MaterialsWood
- Pair of Carl Malmsten Swedish Grace Inlaid Side ChairsBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Atlanta, GAFantastic pair of Carl Malmsten chairs inlaid rosewood and flame birch. Contrasting wood detail on the inside legs and back. Restored and f...Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Art Deco Side Chairs
MaterialsMohair
- "Visingsö" Bench in Pine by Carl Malmsten for Svensk Fur, SwedenBy Svensk Fur, Carl MalmstenLocated in Goteborg, SEThis small bench was designed by one of the real giants in Nordic design, Carl Malmsten. The bench is rustic, but elegant. It is made in solid pinewood, a material you not often see ...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Benches
MaterialsPine