Carl Malmsten was a Swedish furniture designer, architect, and educator known for his devotion to traditional Swedish craftsmanship (slöjd) and his opposition to functionalism.
Malmsten was born into a bourgeois family in Stockholm. He apprenticed as a carpenter and studied architecture independently. In 1916, he won first and second prizes in a competition for furnishing the Stockholm City Hall, marking the beginning of his career as a designer.
Throughout his career, Malmsten emphasized the importance of craftsmanship and traditional design principles. He was a strong proponent of Swedish Grace, a style characterized by its elegance and simplicity, and was a vocal critic of the functionalist movement that emerged in Sweden during the 1930s.
In addition to his design work, Malmsten was deeply committed to education. He founded several schools, including the Carl Malmsten Verkstadsskola in Stockholm in 1930 and Capellagården on Öland in 1957. These institutions were established to promote the integration of theory and practice in design education.
Malmsten's legacy continues through the Carl Malmsten Memorial Foundation, which oversees his schools and ensures the preservation of his work. His designs remain influential in Swedish interior and furniture design history.
