Carl Malmsten
Carl Malmsten, a "Rosendal" table, Nordiska Kompaniet, ca 1930.
Octagonal tabletop on a four-part central foot. Veneered in birch, with inlays of various woods and a compass rose decoration. Labelled AB NORDISKA KOMPANIET R 34830 -MÖB and branded with CM. Dimensions 87 x 87 cm, height 66 cm.
Localized wear with chips and marks. Veneer damage. Scratches.
More information
The model was designed in 1930 and was originally an order for the luxury hotel Waldorf Astoria on Park Avenue in Manhattan, New York. The building was completed in 1931. The commission number MÖB suggests that it was the present table that served as a display piece at NK's department store in Stockholm.
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.