Bruno Mathsson: One Of Sweden's Great Furniture Designers

Bruno Mathsson was descended from five generations of the production of top-quality wood furniture. Bruno was born in Varnamo, Sweden in 1907, and the love of fine wood-crafting was in his blood. Under his father's tutelage he learned technical furniture-making skills, the textures and capabilities of a variety of woods, and the importance of always striving for excellence.

Furniture designer Mathson wanted to learn everything he could about the technical issues and design styles he worked with. He taught himself by reading books from museums and design centers and networking with other designers. Functionalism was a design style that Bruno was very interested in. He actually won a scholarship for one of his functionalist chair designs.

Not content with the limitations of traditional flat board furniture, Mathson experimented with chairs without the springs and heavy upholstery, some that could be adjusted in position, and all with clean, elegant line. Some were so controversial that they were hidden in storage until he became a famous name.

Mathsson was so anxious about the thing he calls the "mechanics of sitting" that he conducted trials to determine the precise blueprint which was created by a person while reclining, even dropping in the snow to look at the result! By 1937, he had attained a Grand Prix design honor at an Expo in Paris. At that time, a few of his lost chairs began to be viewed by the public again.

One of his classic designs is the Pernilla chair. It is made in easy chair and lounge chair formats with bentwood and lamination techniques employed as part of the design. It can be upholstered or made with webbing. During war shortages of materials, Mathsson experimented with jute and hemp and anything else he could obtain, and this design can be adapted to nearly any wood or material. Pernilla chairs typically have an attached pillow.

Another of Mathsson's famous designs is the Fällbord table, which was a modular table design allowing folding and reconfiguration in many different layouts. Designed in 1935, it remains to this day a strikingly modern piece of furniture. Its timelessness is similar to many of his other works, which are highly sought after even today.

One final piece of Mathsson furniture that has to be mentioned as one of his classics is the superellips. Another of his tables, the superellips adds to the huge selection of Mathsson designs that is simply growing in popularity and value over time. To have designed so many timeless classics is an enormous testament to this legendary designer. Mathsson raised his family's craft to an all-new level prior to his death from illness in 1988.

Swedish designer Bruno Mathsson was born in Varnamo in 1907 into a woodworking tradition. He wanted to learn everything he could about the technical issues and design styles he worked with. Since he wasn't satisfied with the limitations imposed by flat board furniture (möbler), Mathsson branched out to chairs without springs and heavy upholstery. The Pernilla chair is one of his classic designs. It comes in both easy chair and lounge chair formats. Another historical piece that captures a contemporary feel is the modular Fällbord table. His designs have held their popularity well into the 21st century.