Carl Malmsten
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a pair of "Redet" (The Nest) easy chairs, Sweden 1930-40's.
Upholstered in beige velvet, stained birch legs, stamped CM, width ca 102 cm, depth ca 95 cm, height ca 83 cm, seat height ca 43 cm. Stool included 59 x 43 cm, height ca 43 cm.
Wear, stains, a small hole in the velvet to one of the chairs.
More information
The model was designed in 1936 and was shown at the Paris World's Fair in 1937.
Designer
Carl Malmsten is one of Sweden's most famous furniture designers. Many of his furniture are considered modern design classics, for example, the cane chair "Lilla Åland", the armchair "Farmor", the sofa "Samsas", the cabinet "Herrgården", and the furniture series "Vardag".
Both "Lilla Åland" and "Vardag" adopted the ideals of "beautiful everyday goods" of the 1940s. Their neat shape and frugal design quickly became timeless interior details that we still see in many homes today.
At the beginning of his career, Malmsten interned at various carpentry workshops and studied furniture at Nordiska museet and Skansen. He had his breakthrough in 1916 when he was commissioned to design part of the interior of Stockholm's City Hall.
During his career, Malmsten collaborated with several architects, such as Ragnar Östberg, Ivar Tengbom, and Ferdinand Boberg. He designed furniture for Stockholm's concert hall and Ulriksdal castle. He participated in the now iconic hosing exhibition at Liljevalchs gallery in 1917, where the term "Beautiful everyday goods" was coined.