CARL MALMSTEN ARCHIVE COLLECTION 2019
Carl Malmsten (1888-1972) was one of the great cultural celebrities of the 20th century and is regarded as an icon within the history of Swedish interior decoration and design.
His public decors for the Ulriksdal castle, the Stockholm City Hall, Konserthuset and the Supreme Court situated in the Bondeska palace are only a few examples of significant cultural heritages.
The many furnishings of Carl Malmsten were also part in the building of the modern Swedish sense of home in both a literal and spiritual sense.
An increasing interest in Carl Malmsten during later years, both domestic and international, has meant that the time has come for the furniture designer, interior decorator, pedagogue and founder of several craft schools to receive a proper reboot.
Anna and Carl
In 2016 Anna Kraitz was commissioned to renew the brand of Carl Malmsten.
The commissioning body were the Trust for the Memory of Carl and Siv Malmsten together with Carl Malmsten Ltd.
Early on Anna engaged Lars Bulow to form a team that were able to complement the others skills and knowledge.
The result of their collaboration is among other things a new graphic profile, a new homepage, a new mode of operation for CM Ltd – as well as a collection of objects retrieved from the Carl Malmsten archives.
Anna Kraitz and Carl Bulow unearthed the new collection from the rich treasure that the Carl Malmsten archives constitutes.
The archive, situated in Dieselverkstaden (located in Nacka, not far from central Stockholm), contains 20 000 sketches, work drafts, photographs and textile samples.
Together they worked intently with archivist Hanna Berndalen, and after sifting through 12 000 of Carl Malmsten's sketches the new collection started to unfold.
The collection has been given the name:
CARL MALMSTEN ARCHIVE COLLECTION 2019
and was first introduced during the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair 2019
To view the full collection and to get acquainted with the world of designer Carl Malmsten
please visit www.carlmalmsten.se
Anna Kraitz and Lars Bulow
Anna and Lars are two prominent personalities within the world of Swedish furniture design.
She is a recognized designer of furniture for Källemo amongst others, and active within the Trust for the memory of Siv and Carl Malmsten.
He is a furniture designer, co-founder of the furniture company Materia, previously the CEO for Lammhults and presently operating the Möbeldesign museum in Frihamnen, Stockholm. The new collection has now been compiled together with the Trust for the memory of Siv and Carl Malmsten, Carl Malmsten Ltd and the licence holders Tre sekel, Stolab, OH Sjögren and Martin Altwegg.
WHAT WAS MOST FUN ABOUT GOING THROUGH THE ARCHIVES?
Lars: It is fascinating to see the enormous output of Carl Malmsten – the consistency of how he and his co-workers worked for many decades. There probably isn’t an equivalent in the whole country.
Anna: To be able to bury oneself like this in the work of another designer – I almost became possessed. The materials surrounding Carl Malmsten are so rich; apart from his whole production of furniture he’s written so many texts and books, and decorated for so many different people, places and contexts.
So, the most fun part is probably the digging itself, it can go on for ever. If you’d like.
AND THE MOST DIFFICULT?
Anna: The hardest part comes after digging through the archives. When it is all supposed to become real physical objects.
Lars: To keep a clear and strict line in our selection.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE IN THE CARL MALMSTEN ARCHIVE COLLECTION 2019?
Lars: The glass-panelled cabinet.
Anna: I’ve formed a close relationship with all the pieces we’ve selected – even many of those who haven’t yet been started upon, but hopefully will be in the future. But if I have to choose a favourite right now, it would be the armchair Widemar.