Walnut Side table 'October' designed by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Carl Malmsten (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 21.26 in (54 cm)Width: 18.51 in (47 cm)Depth: 14.97 in (38 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Stockholm, SE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1006636241952
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Stockholm, Sweden
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- 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 Löfving & Co, Carl MalmstenLocated 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
- Swedish Grace Sofa Designed by Carl Malmsten, Mahogany Frame, Sweden, 1929By Carl MalmstenLocated in Stockholm, SESwedish Grace sofa designed by Carl Malmsten, Sweden. 1929. Mahogany frame with exotic wood inlay. Fabric upholstery. Provenance: Commissioned by ...Category
Vintage 1920s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Mahogany
- Scandinavian modern pine side table by Carl Malmsten, 1950s, SwedenBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Eskilstuna, SERare side table in pine designed by Carl Malmsten during the 1950s. Goes perfectly together with other so called sports cabin furniture.Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Side Tables
MaterialsPine
- 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
- 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
- Console Table "Sportstugemöbel" by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1950sBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Hägersten, SEConsole or dining table designed by Carl Malmsten in 1953 model "Visingsö", This early example from the Beginning of the 1950s without the added screws on the short ends and visible ...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Console Tables
MaterialsPine
- “Alltid Redo” Coffee Table by Carl Malmsten, Sweden 1950sBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Utrecht, NL“All edges must be thoroughly broken”, Carl Malmsten often wrote in his drawings. It was nature that was his great source of inspiration, and in nature there are hardly any sharp edg...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood
- "Guldheden" Bedside Table by Carl Malmsten, 1960sBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Stockholm, SEElegant bedside table in pine, designed by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1960s. Very good condition with small signs of usage and patina.Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Nesting Tables and Stacking Ta...
MaterialsPine