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Carl Malmsten More Furniture and Collectibles

Swedish, 1888-1972

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.

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Creator: Carl Malmsten
Scandinavian Midcentury Wall Mounted Bedside Tables by Carl Malmsten
By Carl Malmsten
Located in Karlstad, SE
A pair of rare wall-mounted bedside tables by Carl Malmsten, manufactured in his own studio during the 1960s. These bedside tables are made of teak and show a very minimalistic desi...
Category

20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Carl Malmsten More Furniture and Collectibles

Materials

Teak

Crib Designed by Carl Malmsten, Sweden, 1924
By Carl Malmsten
Located in Stockholm, SE
Crib 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

1920s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Carl Malmsten More Furniture and Collectibles

Materials

Pine

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Previously Available Items
Carl Malmsten Bedside Tables
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Carl Malmsten Bedside Tables
Carl Malmsten Bedside Tables
H 19.69 in W 20.48 in D 13.39 in
Carl Malmsten Pair of Nightstands in Beech
By Carl Malmsten, Bodafors
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Carl Malmsten for Bodafors, pair of side tables, beech, Sweden, 1962. This modest set of nightstands is designed by the Swede Carl Malmsten. The tables feature an underlying shelf...
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1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Carl Malmsten More Furniture and Collectibles

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Carl Malmsten Pair of Nightstands in Beech
Carl Malmsten Pair of Nightstands in Beech
H 22.05 in W 21.26 in D 18.12 in
Carl Malmsten for Bodafors Mahogany Side Tables
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Carl Malmsten for Bodafors, pair of side tables, mahogany, Sweden, 1962. This modest set of nightstands is designed by the Swede Carl Malmsten. The table feature an underlying she...
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Carl Malmsten for Bodafors Mahogany Side Tables
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Carl Malmsten Swedish Set of Mahogany Night Stands
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Pair of Pine Nightstands, "Guldheden" by Carl Malmsten
By Carl Malmsten
Located in Karlstad, SE
A set of two Scandinavian nightstands model "Guldheden" by Carl Malmsten designed in 1945. These beautiful tables are made of solid pine and show excellent craftsmanship in every det...
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Carl Malmsten more furniture and collectibles for sale on 1stDibs.

Carl Malmsten more furniture and collectibles are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Carl Malmsten more furniture and collectibles, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original more furniture and collectibles by Carl Malmsten were created in the Scandinavian Modern style in sweden during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider more furniture and collectibles by GETAMA, Arne Vodder, and Josef Frank. Prices for Carl Malmsten more furniture and collectibles can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $3,520 and can go as high as $3,818, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,669.

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