Carl Malmsten, armchairs, a pair, "Konsert", Nordiska Kompaniet's workshops, Nyköping, circa 1926.
Red upholstery in plush. Chairs numbered 452 and 577 respectively. Dark stained wooden frame. Marked NK on the hinges. In folded condition, width 55 cm, depth 42 cm, height 87 cm. Seat height 46 cm.
Wear. Some rust. Stains. Scratches. Marks. Later upholstery. Upholstery with some damage.
The Stockholm Concert Hall was inaugurated in April 1926, designed by architect Ivar Tengbom, with furniture designed by Carl Malmsten.
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.