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Price category: 7,500 - 10,000 usd / eur

“Samsas” is for many the most associated model with Carl Malmsten. The designer devoted his life to the renewal of traditional Swedish craftsmanship, inspired by Swedish country manors and rustic styles. In this spirit, Samsas is today regarded as the most typical of Malmsten’s furniture.

In his work, Carl Malmsten often returned to his earlier designs, which he renewed and simplified. Samsas is such a product, which, when it was designed in 1960, had its roots in a model that was almost 40 years old. The original was the armchair “Konsert”, designed for the Stockholm Concert Hall in 1923. Leó Jóhannsson, long-time senior lecturer in furniture design, has described the armchair: “Samsas has everything required in an armchair: expression, comfort with a big form, fine lines and details – and the feeling of music”. As the name suggests (to get on well together), Samsas was designed to be a part of a cosy environment, and to bring people together. This pair of armchairs is a part of a family, along with three different sofas to combine with each other. With a frame in solid pine, these armchairs have a sturdy structure that was created to last. The upholstered bodies have a welcoming design with outward curving armrests, button tufted backrests, and generous seats. The beautiful tapered, wooden legs add a modern detail that balances out the fully upholstered bodies. The light bouclé upholstery further adds to the stylish but cosy aesthetic of this pair of armchairs.

Samsas is conceived as a model for pleasant socializing and as such, and it has been beloved for over 50 years. In other words, a timeless and durable model.

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The chairs have been reupholstered recently in premium bouclé fabric.

Dimensions:

28.34 in W x 32.28 in D x 33.46 in H; Seat height 17.71 in

72 cm W x 82 cm D x 85 cm H; Seat height 45 cm

About the designer:

Carl Malmsten (December 7, 1888 – August 13, 1972) was a Swedish furniture designer, architect, and educator. Malmsten was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Malmsten's career took off when he won a competition in 1916 to design furniture for the Stockholm City Hall and shortly after in 1917, he exhibited alongside well-known Swedish architects such as Gunnar Asplund and Uno Åhrén.

In the 1920s he was invited to furnish a room for the crown prince, Gustaf VI Adolf, and his wife Louise in Ulriksdal Palace. He was honoured with an inaugural Prince Eugen Medal for design in 1945. Already as a young designer in the early 20th century, Carl Malmsten advocated an artisanal furniture design based on local ingredients and traditions, available to a wide audience at a reasonable price.

Nature was Carl Malmsten's foremost teacher and source of inspiration. He conveyed his love of craftsmanship as a teacher in his own schools, at Olofskolan in Stockholm, Capellagården on Öland and the Carl Malmsten school on Lidingö, today a branch of Linköping University and one of the country's leading design colleges. As a debater, Malmsten stormed against functionalism, but in retrospect it can be seen that his ideas often coincided with the rational and frugal style ideals of function.

Malmsten has had a lasting influence on Swedish furniture design through the two schools he founded—the Carl Malmsten Furniture Studies (Carl Malmstensskolan), which has been a part of Linköping University since 2000, is situated on the island of Lidingö on the outskirts of Stockholm. Carl Malmsten spoke about the importance of tradition, craftsmanship and the nation. His furniture was in many ways a product of the thoughts and ideals of the time, they have a timeless quality that makes them just as relevant and loved today. ~H.