Small Desk / Side Table “Guanabara” Designed by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1950’s
View Similar Items
Small Desk / Side Table “Guanabara” Designed by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1950’s
About the Item
- Creator:Carl Malmsten (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.52 in (77.5 cm)Width: 45.28 in (115 cm)Depth: 16.93 in (43 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Stockholm, SE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1006626544472
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.
- Walnut Side table 'October' designed by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1950sBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Stockholm, SESide table 'October' designed by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1950s Stamped. Walnut. Carl Malmsten was a Swedish furniture designer, interior designer, and educator known for his devoti...Category
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Side table ‘October’ designed by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1930s, walnutBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Stockholm, SESide table ‘October’ designed by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1930s. Walnut. Stamped.Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Pair of side tables ‘October’ designed by Carl Malmsten for Carl Löving & SonsBy Carl Malmsten, Carl Löfving & CoLocated in Stockholm, SEPair of side tables ‘October’ designed by Carl Malmsten for Carl Löving & Sons, Sweden, 1950s. Oak.Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsOak
- Crib Designed by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1924By Carl MalmstenLocated in Stockholm, SECrib designed by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1924. Stained pine. Carl Malmsten was a renowned Swedish furniture designer and architect who lived from 1888 to 1972. He is considered one ...Category
Vintage 1920s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsPine
- Pair of Bedside Tables ‘Guest Stool Z’ for the Carl Malmsten Centre, SwedenBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Stockholm, SEMarked. Measures: H: 39 cm / 15 1/3'' W: 55 cm / 21 1/2'' D: 38 cm / 15'' H storage section: 18 cm / 7''.Category
Late 20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Cabinets
MaterialsPine
- Chest of Drawers Designed by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1930sBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Stockholm, SEChest of drawers designed by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1930s. Veneered mahogany, jacaranda, birch, and fruit trees. Stamped. Made by master carpenter Albin Johansson. H: 87...Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBirch, Fruitwood, Jacaranda, Mahogany
- Side Table by Carl MalmstenBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Dronten, NLElegant bone white lacquered mahogany side table, designed by Carl Malmsten for Möbel Komponerad AV. Marked with bronze medallion. Carl Malmsten (December 7, 1888 – August 13, 1972...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsBeech
$1,750 - Carl Malmsten 'Berg' Three Legged Side Table in Masur Birch, Sweden, 1950sBy Carl MalmstenLocated in The Hague, NLThis elegant side table was designed by Carl Malmsten in 1936 as part of his 'Berg' series of three-legged tables. This example was produced by Carl Malmsten in the early 1950s. The ...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsBirch
- Desk Fryklund in pine by Carl MalmstenBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Göteborg, SEThe desk "Fryklund" by Carl Malmsten in pine is a classic and timeless high-quality piece of furniture, designed to suit both modern and traditional home interiors. Made from solid p...Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsPine
- Pair of "Haga" Side Tables by Carl MalmstenBy Carl Malmsten, NK (Nordiska Kompaniet)Located in Stockholm, SEPair of beautiful bedside tables by Carl Malmsten, model named “Haga”. Made in alder root and stained birch. On the sides the wood is laid in a...Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsBirch
$5,541 / set - Carl Malmsten, Set of "Sledge" Nesting Tables, Sweden, circa 1948By Carl MalmstenLocated in New York, NYMidcentury nesting tables with teak marquetry by Swedish designer Carl Malmsten.Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Nesting Tables and Stacking...
MaterialsBeech, Teak
- Louis XVI Side Table or Small Desk, Germany, 1780-1800Located in Belmont, MALouis XVI side table or desk, Germany, 1780-1800. Cherry veneer with ebonized neoclassical style inlays of vases and garlands. Very unusual design. This unique table could be used a...Category
Antique 1780s German Louis XVI Side Tables
MaterialsCherry