Skip to main content
Items Similar to Scandinavian Lounge Chair, Presented at the 1952 Önskehem Exhibition, Sweden
Lounge Chair by Unknown Designer, Sweden, Mid-20th Century
Lounge Chair by Unknown Designer, Sweden, Mid-20th Century
Danish Designer, Lounge Chair, Wood, Fabric, Denmark 1940s
Danish Designer, Lounge Chair, Wood, Fabric, Denmark 1940s
Vintage Mogens Lassen Lounge Chair from Denmark, circa 1950
Vintage Mogens Lassen Lounge Chair from Denmark, circa 1950
Swedish Designer, Lounge Chair, Birch, Fabric, Sweden, 1940s
Swedish Designer, Lounge Chair, Birch, Fabric, Sweden, 1940s
Lounge chair by Vik & Blindheim, Norway, 1950s
Lounge chair by Vik & Blindheim, Norway, 1950s
Swedish Modern Upholstered Lounge Chair, Sweden, 1940s
Swedish Modern Upholstered Lounge Chair, Sweden, 1940s
Video Loading
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 12

Scandinavian Lounge Chair, Presented at the 1952 Önskehem Exhibition, Sweden

$5,360.90
£3,929.99
€4,500VAT Included
CA$7,384.37
A$7,478.93
CHF 4,296.27
MX$90,691.63
NOK 49,836.17
SEK 50,727.49
DKK 34,315.10

About the Item

In Sweden in the early 1950s, the idea of the modern home was being reconsidered. The question was no longer simply how a chair should look, or how a room should be furnished. It was something larger: how should modern life actually be lived? In 1952, that conversation took physical form in Önskehem — an exhibition devoted to visions of the contemporary Swedish home. Rather than presenting furniture as isolated design objects, Önskehem created complete interiors in which furniture, textiles, lighting and everyday objects were brought together as parts of a larger whole. This armchair was documented in that context. Seen today, its presence feels remarkably expressive. The back rises and curves around the sitter, continuing into dramatically sculpted arms that give the chair an almost protective quality. The upholstered body appears to have been shaped as one continuous volume, while the short wooden legs quietly lift the substantial form from the floor. It is comfortable furniture, certainly, but it is also architecture on a small scale. And perhaps that is what makes the chair particularly interesting. The history of Scandinavian Modern design is often told through a familiar vocabulary of pale woods, clean lines and visual restraint. Yet Swedish interiors of the period were considerably richer than that simplified image suggests. They could be deeply tactile, colourful, intimate and surprisingly sculptural. This chair belongs to that other story. Its enveloping silhouette speaks about comfort rather than austerity. Its generous proportions suggest a home designed around human presence rather than formal display. Even the contrast between the substantial upholstered body and the simple wooden legs reflects an idea central to Scandinavian design at the time: that modernity did not have to mean coldness. Önskehem attempted to imagine homes for a changing society. The exhibitions were not simply about presenting fashionable furniture; they participated in a broader Swedish conversation about domestic life, craftsmanship, quality and the relationship between beauty and everyday living. More than seventy years later, this armchair remains a physical fragment of that conversation. Removed from the exhibition interior in which it once appeared, it survives as an individual object — but the ideas surrounding it are still visible in its form. A chair designed not merely to occupy a room, but to create a place within it. And a rare surviving document from a moment when Sweden was imagining what the modern home could become.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 29.14 in (74 cm)Width: 28.35 in (72 cm)Depth: 31.89 in (81 cm)Seat Height: 14.97 in (38 cm)
  • Style:
    Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Beech,Textile
  • Place of Origin:
    Sweden
  • Period:
    Mid-20th Century
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1952
  • Condition:
    Repaired: One of the rear legs has been professionally repaired and remains structurally sound. Please refer to the detailed photographs, where the repair is clearly shown. Wear consistent with age and use. Very good vintage condition. The upholstery presents well with only light, age-appropriate wear. One of the rear legs has been professionally repaired and remains structurally sound. Please refer to the detailed photographs, where the repair is clear.
  • Seller Location:
    Hammarö, SE
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU10907251153172

More From This Seller

View All
Swedish Modern Easy Chair, Sweden, 1940s

Swedish Modern Easy Chair, Sweden, 1940s

Swedish Modern Easy Chair, Sweden, 1940s

Located in Hammarö, SE

The Swedish Modern movement sought to create furniture that felt natural rather than imposed—pieces shaped by comfort, proportion, and an intuitive understanding of how people live. ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Velvet, Oak

S.M. Wincrantz, Sweden, 1940s

S.M. Wincrantz, Sweden, 1940s

S.M. Wincrantz, Sweden, 1940s

By SM Wincrantz 1

Located in Hammarö, SE

One of the most striking examples of Swedish Modern seating design to emerge from the 1940s, this rare lounge chair by S.M. Wincrantz possesses a sculptural presence that transcends ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Textile, Mahogany

Otto Schulz Wingback Lounge Chair for Boet, Sweden, 1940s

Otto Schulz Wingback Lounge Chair for Boet, Sweden, 1940s

Otto Schulz Wingback Lounge Chair for Boet, Sweden, 1940s

By Otto Schulz

Located in Hammarö, SE

Designed by renowned Swedish designer Otto Schulz, this elegant wingback lounge chair is a fine example of Scandinavian craftsmanship from the 1940s. Schulz founded the celebrated fu...

Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Textile, Pine

Carl Malmsten ‘Vår Fru’ Easy Chair by O.H. Sjögren, Sweden

Carl Malmsten ‘Vår Fru’ Easy Chair by O.H. Sjögren, Sweden

Carl Malmsten ‘Vår Fru’ Easy Chair by O.H. Sjögren, Sweden

Located in Hammarö, SE

Designed by Carl Malmsten, the ‘Vår Fru’ easy chair is one of the designer’s most celebrated and enduring creations. Originally introduced in the mid-20th century, the model embodies...

Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Textile, Walnut

Swedish modern lounge chair

Swedish modern lounge chair

Swedish modern lounge chair

Located in Hammarö, SE

Swedish Easy Chair, 1940s Elegant Swedish easy chair from the 1940s, featuring softly rolled arms, a gracefully shaped backrest with deep button tufting, and tapered stained beech l...

Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Velvet, Mahogany

Scandinavian Modern Sofa from “Önskehemmet” 1952

Scandinavian Modern Sofa from “Önskehemmet” 1952

Scandinavian Modern Sofa from “Önskehemmet” 1952

Located in Hammarö, SE

In 1952, Sweden was imagining a new way of living. The war years had passed, society was changing rapidly, and the home was becoming an important expression of a more modern life. C...

Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Sofas

Materials

Textile, Beech

You May Also Like

Danish Designer, Lounge Chair, Beech, Fabric, Denmark, 1930s

Danish Designer, Lounge Chair, Beech, Fabric, Denmark, 1930s

Danish Designer, Lounge Chair, Beech, Fabric, Denmark, 1930s

Located in High Point, NC

A green bouclé fabric and stained beech lounge chair designed and produced in Denmark, c. 1930s. Seat Height (inches): 16.5” Arm Height (inches): 24" All items ship from High Poin...

Category

Vintage 1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Beech

Upholstered Swedish Modern Lounge Chair, Sweden 1940s

Upholstered Swedish Modern Lounge Chair, Sweden 1940s

Upholstered Swedish Modern Lounge Chair, Sweden 1940s

Located in Utrecht, NL

Mid-century modern is an interior style which championed notions of functionality and simplicity in design. This 1940s winged armchair is a great representation of the craftsmanship ...

Category

Vintage 1940s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Lounge Chair by Unknown Designer, Sweden, Mid-20th Century

Lounge Chair by Unknown Designer, Sweden, Mid-20th Century

Lounge Chair by Unknown Designer, Sweden, Mid-20th Century

Located in Eskilstuna, SE

Elegant armchair produced in Sweden during the first half of the 20th century. The softly sculpted form is defined by its sweeping backrest, rounded arms, and generous proportions, c...

Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Sofas

Materials

Fabric, Beech

1950’s Lounge Chair By Carl Malmsten

1950’s Lounge Chair By Carl Malmsten

1950’s Lounge Chair By Carl Malmsten

By Carl Malmsten

Located in Turners Falls, MA

1950’s lounge chair designed by renowned Swedish designer Carl Malmsten. Beautiful organic design. Beech legs. Vintage upholstery. Produced by AB Record

Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Beech

Danish Designer, Lounge Chair, Fabric, Wood, Denmark, 1940s

Danish Designer, Lounge Chair, Fabric, Wood, Denmark, 1940s

Danish Designer, Lounge Chair, Fabric, Wood, Denmark, 1940s

Located in High Point, NC

A blue fabric and dark-stained wood lounge chair designed and produced in Denmark, c. 1940s. Staining to vintage period fabric and tear on one arm rest, reupholstery recommended. We...

Category

Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Swedish Modern Upholstered Lounge Chair, Sweden, 1940s

Swedish Modern Upholstered Lounge Chair, Sweden, 1940s

Swedish Modern Upholstered Lounge Chair, Sweden, 1940s

Located in Utrecht, NL

In Sweden, “svensk design” in particular operates as a set of relations linking objects, spaces, people to the cultural ideologies that motivate the persistence of a social democrati...

Category

Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Wood