Carl Malmsten, a rare sofa, Cabinetmaker Albin Johansson, Stockholm, 1946.
Walnut, carved naturalistic decoration, upholstered seat and back, branded ALBIN JOHANSSON STOCKHOLM. Length 205 cm, depth 88 cm, height 67 cm. Drawing included.
Wear, marks, somewhat faded. Worn upholstery, somewhat dried stuffing.
Part of a furniture suite whose drawings were purchased from Carl Malmsten AB in January 1946, which was then executed by master carpenter Albin Johansson in his workshop in Stockholm.
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.