“The hand that works creates a mind that thinks.”

Carl Malmsten

Carl Malmsten (1888-1972) was a prominent Swedish furniture designer and architect known for his significant contributions to Scandinavian design. Born in Stockholm, Malmsten's artistic career spanned several decades, during which he played a pivotal role in shaping the aesthetics and functionality of modern Swedish furniture. His designs embodied a timeless elegance, combining simplicity with meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail. Malmsten had a deep respect for traditional Swedish craftsmanship.

Malmsten came into the world over a century ago, yet his concepts remain as relevant as they have ever been. Even during his early years as a designer in the early 1900s, Malmsten championed the creation of artisanal furniture that drew upon local resources and traditions, aiming to be affordable and accessible to a wide audience.

Daybed, 1917

In 1915, Carl Malmsten, by the time a completely unknown designer, won both first and second prizes in a competition organized by Svensk Form and architect Ragnar Östberg to design furniture for the new Stockholm City Hall. Malmsten's top entry, an armchair, was intriguingly never utilized in the City Hall. Nevertheless, Östberg commissioned Malmsten to decorate the Council chamber and other offices. This project signified Malmsten's breakthrough in his career.

Just two years later, in 1917, Malmsten showcased at his first exhibition, the Home Exhibition, held at Liljevalch's Art Museum. This daybed was among the top pieces displayed. The exhibition, coordinated by the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design, aimed to promote a social agenda, advocating for simplicity in furnishings and the development of a distinct Swedish style.

  • H: 92 cm / 3' 1/4''
    L: 214 cm / 7' 1/4''
    D: 73 cm / 2' 4 3/4''
    SH: 44 cm / 17 1/4''

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Sofa ‘Swedish Grace’ 1929

In the 1920s, Carl Malmsten received several prestigious commissions as a designer, including the honour of furnishing the grand living room at Ulriksdal Palace, the Stockholm Concert Hall, and the "Tändstickspalatset" (Matchstick Palace).

Ivar Kreuger, known for engaging groundbreaking artists to decorate interiors, enlisted Malmsten to design furniture for “Tändstickspalatset". This included a curved boardroom table crafted from lemonwood with ivory inlays to denote the seating positions of meeting participants. Kreuger's own place was marked by an inlaid sun at the table's center, adding a unique personality to the room.

A year after the building was completed, Erik Söderberg, a notary of the Svea Court of Appeal and CEO of the textile company AB Hj. Söderberg, commissioned this sofa. The design captured the era's distinctive style in Swedish furniture making, marked by a blend of minimalist formal aesthetics and rich, ornamental details characteristic of the 1920s and 1930s.

  • H: 73 cm / 2' 5 1/4"

    W: 225 cm / 7' 2 5/8"

    D: 85.5 cm / 2' 7 1/8"

    Seat H: 42 cm / 17"

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Desk ‘Ståndare’ 1950s

By the 1950s Carl Malmsten had become a critical advocate for traditional craftsmanship against the rising tide of industrial mass production. Nature stood as Carl Malmsten's primary mentor and muse. He held a profound affection for flowers, and his greatest contentment arose when he sat on a stump, his carving knife in hand.

The decorative floral pattern is achieved on the desk’s apron through exquisite inlays of exotic wood. Hence the desk bears the name ‘Ståndare’, the Swedish word for stamen, a flower’s pollen-producing reproductive organ.

    • Mahogany and walnut, boxwood inlays.

    • Stamped "CM".

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  • H: 75 cm / 2' 5 1/2''
    L: 170 cm / 5' 7''
    W: 85 cm / 2' 9 1/2''

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Nest of tables ‘Släden’

  • H: 52 cm / 20 1/2"
    L: 80 cm / 31 1/2"
    W: 41 cm / 16 1/8"

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Side table 'October'

    • A set of three Red Chairs (model 3949) in Cuban mahogany, original Niger leather and brass.

    • Manufactured in Denmark by the original manufacturer, Rud Rasmussen, in the 1930s.

    • Stamped.

    • Click here to view the set on our website.

  • H: 84.5 cm / 2' 9 1/4''

    W: 47.5 cm / 18 3/4''

    D: 49 cm / 19 1/4''

    SH: 46 cm / 18''

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Crib, 1924

Carl Malmsten