As the descendant of four generations of Swedish master cabinetmakers, Bruno Mathsson was born to design furniture. Mathsson was known as a methodical perfectionist who made usefulness the fundamental attribute of his iconic lounge chairs, tables, armchairs and other works, yet he was also a ceaseless experimenter, who constantly searched for improvements in form, materials and methods of design.
Like the Finnish designer Alvar Aalto, Mathsson was one of the first Scandinavians to embrace undulating, biomorphic forms in furniture. His early pieces such as the Eva and Pernilla series of chairs incorporate dramatically flowing bent beechwood frames, making them some of the most instantly recognizable works of 20th-century design.
Mathsson was also a pioneer of ergonomics — he is said to have based the contours of his chairs on the impression his body made when he sat in a snow bank — and used supple, accommodating woven webbing for seats. His concern for practicality is shown by pieces such as the Maria table. An elegant design with gate legs and hinged leaves, the table measures more than nine feet long when fully extended, but folds down to just nine inches in thickness.
From the mid-1940s through the 1950s, Mathsson focused on architecture, designing and building houses with insulated, triple-glazed window walls and heated floors — construction that flew in the face of traditional wood-clad Swedish residential design, and consequently met with some skepticism. He returned to furniture in the 1960s, employing an entirely new suite of materials: Stainless-steel framing and mesh seats feature in pieces like the Jetson chair; with the mathematician Piet Hein, Mathsson designed the Super-Elliptical table, which has a laminate top and four-part tubular steel legs that sprout like flower stems from a single base.
Bruno Mathsson’s stylistic flexibility as a designer made him a creator whose pieces meet all tastes and needs.
Find vintage Bruno Mathsson dining tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
1950 French Oak Wood Coffee Table
Located in Madrid, ES
Coffee table in French oak, from the 1950s, with black lacquered metal and black glass top, In the lower part they have some black rods that are used to support press, or papers, th...
Metal
1970 Small Brass Coffee Table with Black Glass Top
Located in Madrid, ES
Small coffee table or side table, made of golden brass and black glass top.
Brass
Mid Century Teak Danish Sideboard 1960¨s
Located in Madrid, ES
A Danish mid century modern sideboard, from the 60s, in teak wood, with four drawers on the left side and a compartment with shelves on the right side, with sliding door, it is in ve...
Teak
Pair of 1970s Chrome and Brass Leather Jansen Style Side Tables
By Maison Jansen
Located in Madrid, ES
A pair of Maison Jansen-style side tables. Chrome-plated metal frame with slim, clean lines typical of the Mid-Century Modern or Hollywood Regency style, brass details on both the un...
Brass, Chrome
Mid Modern Century Commode Chest of Drawers Teak Wood
By G Plan Furniture
Located in Madrid, ES
A beautiful and elegant chest of drawers from the 60s, in teak wood, with four drawers and bronze handles, the four legs also end with four rounded bronze sabots.
Bronze
18th Century French Provincial Rustic Table
Located in Madrid, ES
Rustic French oak table with turned legs and crossed stretcher from the 18th century. This table has a rectangular top with rounded corners tha...
Oak
Bauhaus Large Desk in Wood and Tubular Metal, circa 1930
By Elmar Berkovich
Located in Barcelona, ES
Presented here is an exquisite Bauhaus desk, designed by an unknown designer and manufactured in the Netherlands circa 1930. This rare piece embodies the essence of Bauhaus design wi...
Wood
Scandinavian/Finnish Modern Steel and Birch Writing Desk By Heteka Finland 1930
By Pauli Blomstedt, Heteka
Located in Kangasala, FI
A beautiful piece of Finnish design history, writing table manufactured by Heteka (Helsingin teräskaluste) in the 1930's. The designer isn't documented but we firmly belive this piec...
Metal
Swedish mid-century serving table, made from beech, walnut and brass, 1950s
Located in Forserum, SE
A Swedish mid-century serving table, made from beech wood and walnut. Two legs on casters, the other two with dark wooden feet. The shelf gives the table extra space for storage.
Brass
Pine & Brass Rødby Rådhus Desk by Ebbe & Karen Clemmensen, 1953
By Karen & Ebbe Clemmensen
Located in London, GB
A teak, Oregon pine, and brass desk, designed by Ebbe & Karen Clemmensen, in 1953 for the Rødby Rådhus (Town Hall), Denmark.The desk is in a late Classicist style, characterised by symmetrical design and simple ornamentation. Constructed with a pine kickboard, and a teak top, the legs finish with patinated brass shoes. The top is a slight trapezoid shape tapering at the front, originally to allow for serial desks to be attached resulting in a gentle crescent curve for a meeting room. A small circular recession, intended to be used to hold ashtrays, has its original petrol blue finish, popular with the two designers, and frequently used in their Copenhagen house constructed in the same year as this project. Today, this can be used to hold a pen pot...
Brass
Early Drop-Leaf Dining Table by AB Lammhults Möbler, Sweden, 1957
Located in Hammarö, SE
A refined example of early Swedish Modern design, this drop-leaf dining table was produced by AB Lammhults Möbler in 1957, during the formative years of one of Sweden’s most respecte...
Brass
1970s Yngve Ekstrom for Kallemo of Sweden Teak Thea Bar / Serving Cart
By Källemo, Yngve Ekström
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Thea bar and serving cart, designed by Yngve Ekstrom for Kallemo in the 1950s. This particular example dates back to the 1970s. Crafted from teak, the cart reflects Ekstrom...
Metal
