Carl Malmsten 'Berg' Three Legged Coffee Table in Burl Elmwood, Sweden, 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:Carl Malmsten (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 25.2 in (64 cm)Width: 39.38 in (100 cm)Depth: 39.38 in (100 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Burl,Elm
- Place of Origin:Sweden
- Period:1960-1969
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:The Hague, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1803336595242
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: The Hague, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Pair of Carl Malmsten Armchairs in Birch and Satinwood, Bodafors, Sweden, 1930sBy SMF Svenska Möbelfabriken Bodafors, Carl MalmstenLocated in The Hague, NLThis exceptionally rare pair of armchairs was designed by Carl Malmsten and produced by Svenska Möbelfabriken in Bodafors, Sweden in the early 1930s. The refined design is marked by ...Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Birch, Satinwood, Fabric, Cotton, Jacquard, Linen
- Swedish Modern Three Legged Floor Lamp in Oak, Svensk Hemslöjd, 1950sBy Svensk HemslöjdLocated in The Hague, NLThis striking Scandinavian Modern floor lamp was produced by the Swedish company Svensk Hemslöjd in the 1950s. The design is marked by the elegant three legged base, with curved outw...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Ingvar Hildingsson Three Legged Stool in Solid Pine, Ih Slöjd, Sweden, 1970sBy Ingvar HildingssonLocated in The Hague, NLThis rare stool was designed by Ingvar Hildingsson and produced by his company IH Slöjd in Rockneby, Sweden in the 1970s. The stool has a round seat and three club shaped legs...Category
Vintage 1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Stools
MaterialsPine
- Bertil Söderberg Coffee/ Side Table in Burl Wood, Svensk Hemslöjd, Sweden, 1930sBy Bertil Söderberg 1, Svensk HemslöjdLocated in The Hague, NLThis elegant coffee table was designed by Bertil Söderberg in the mid 1930s. It was produced by the Swedish company Svensk Hemslöjd. The design is marked by the sculptural four legg...Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsElm, Burl
- Carl Axel Acking Coffee Table in Teak and Brass, SMF Bodafors, Sweden, 1950sBy Carl-Axel Acking, SMF Svenska Möbelfabriken BodaforsLocated in The Hague, NLThis elegant coffee table was designed by Carl-Axel Acking and produced by SMF Svenska Möbelfabriken in Bodafors, Sweden in the 1950s. The design is marked by the rectangular teak to...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsTeak
- Pair of Stilarmatur Tranås Table Lamps in Teak, Sweden, 1960sBy AB Stilarmatur TranåsLocated in The Hague, NLThis elegant pair of table lamps was produced by AB Stilarmatur Tranås in Sweden in the 1960s. Made of teak wood, the circular bases have an inte...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsFabric, Teak
- Mid Century Modern Swedish Teak Coffee Table by Carl MalmstenBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Atlanta, GAMid-Century Modern teak coffee table by renowned Swedish furniture designer Carl Malmsten (1888-1972). Detailed corners and rounded butterfly legs. A wonderful midmod addition to you...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsTeak
- Carl Malmsten, Visingsö, Dining table, Sweden, 1960sBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Paris, FRCarl Malmsten (Sweden, 1888-1972) Visingsö A rectangular pine wood dining table on four feet assembled by two on each side and joined by an arched base. Sweden. 1960s.Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsPine
- Midcentury modern Carl Malmsten ''Berg'' Coffee TableBy Carl MalmstenLocated in Madrid, ES1940´s swedish round center table “Berg” in birch and Masur Birch by Carl Malmsten with a sculpted tripod base and remarkable table top in birch. Fully refinished.Category
Vintage 1940s Swedish Center Tables
MaterialsBirch
- 1960's Swedish Design by Carl Malmsten Brigitta Dressing Table and ChairBy Bodafors, Carl Malmsten, Yngve EkströmLocated in Tourcoing, FR1960's Swedish Design Brigitta set composed of a wooden dressing table design by Carl Malmsten with its matching wooden and bouclé fabric chair d...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Tables
MaterialsWood, Fabric
- Coffee table by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1960sLocated in Chorzów, PLTeak coffee table by Swedish designer Carl Malmsten. Made in Sweden in the 1960s. Very good condition, after wood restoration. Wood: teak dimensions height 61 cm length 120 cm de...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsTeak
- Carl Malmsten "Samsas" Coffee Table for Åfors Möbelfabrik AB, Sweden, 1960sBy 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 edges or corners. This “Samsas” table is one of the greatest examples of this sentiment. This elegant table was designed as part of the 'Samsas' series of seating models and this rare table. Neither the light, the eye nor the person likes to turn against sharp corners, Malmsten explained once. Therefore, edges should be rounded so that they become friendlier to touch and look at. Carl Malmsten was not only one of Sweden's most famous furniture designers, he was also one of the last century's great cultural personalities with a strong influence on the home environment, public environment and the contemporary public debate. His personality shines through the design of this round coffee table as well. The design is dominated by the round tabletop with a spectacular sunburst pattern. The sunburst design or figure was commonly used in architectural ornaments and design patterns; it consists of rays or "beams" radiating out from a central point in the manner of sunbeams. To support the top are four straight legs with impeccable joinery that is visible under the tabletop. Since this table was made in the heyday of the mid-century, the legs, and the design as a whole lacks heavy ornamentation and instead focuses on the natural beauty of wood and the rounded edges. Carl Malmsten’s design was materialized by Swedish manufacturer, Åfors Möbelfabrik AB...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood