Be inspired by Swedish 20th century design

If you're longing to create a functional home where simple forms and light colours provide serenity as well as edge and individuality, you might want to take a closer look at some of the famous Swedish designers of the 20th century. Swedish design world famous for its high class, wooden furniture and boldness when it comes to combining traditional natural materials with innovative solutions. Swedish 20th century design is closely linked to the functionalist movement that pioneered in clean, sophisticated and modern designs. In Sweden, the period between 1930 and 1950 is traditional considered to be the functionalist period. Furniture created during this era is far from outdated and still looks strikingly modern.


One example of a Swedish 20th century furniture designer whose works and ideals still manage to attract and inspire interior designers from all over the world is Carl Malmsten. Malmsten was a strong advocate of craft-oriented and functional furniture made from reusable and long-lasting materials. His approach to ecology during the spendthrift 1940's and 1950's certainly feels modern today. Malmsten incorporated elements from Swedish peasant culture into his work and fused them into his own sleek and functionalistic style.

Many classic examples of Malmsten furniture are still manufactured in Sweden, in the so called "Nyckelverkstäderna". Malmstens' chairs, tables, cupboards and beds still manage to create an air of modernism and originality while simultaneously exude a sense of Swedish tradition and peasant history. According to their creator, furniture design should be spontaneous and reflect the feelings and moods of the designer, as well as take into account the natural form and structure of the material.

Sweden is also famous for having some excellent glass designers and artists, such as Sven Palmqvist, Kjell Engman, Lena Bergstrom, Ulrika Hydman-Vallien and Bertil Vallien. Swedish art glass as well as everyday drinking glasses, services and bowls are a perfect match for Swedish 20th century furniture. The name Bertil Vallien has become almost synonymous for Swedish sandcasted Scandinavian glass. Vallien took up a traditional technique used for metal casting and incorporated it in his glass work. Some of his most appreciated pieces of art glass are the glass sculptures of human heads where enigmatic light-absorbing glass acts as skin or membrane around the skull. Vallien is also famous for his monoliths, his torsos and a series of glass boats filled with universal tokens. As a designer, Bertil Vallien has created several lines of glass services that are still in production and can be purchased from the Afors glass-factory.


The oldest glassworks still in operation in Sweden is the famous Kosta Glasbruk in the Smaland province. Kosta Glas bruk was founded in 1742 by two foreign officers in Charles XII's army, Georg Bogislaus Stael von Holstein and Anders Koskull. The surrounding region is commonly known as the "Kingdom of Crystal" and used to hold a wide range of smaller glassworks. Today, majority of them have ceased to exist or merged with each other. Kosta Glasbruk has for instance fused with Boda, Afors and Orrefors glasbruk, and formed a company named Orrefors Kosta Boda.