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. Mathsson became intrigued with the technical side of furniture design, and started voraciously reading everything he could locate on the subject, from reading museum books to contacting design centers. He educated himself on both the technical issues involved and the design styles themselves, and in the process became focused primarily on functionalism. He eventually received a scholarship for his work on functionalist design. Since he wasn’t satisfied with the limitations imposed by flat board furniture, Mathsson branched out to chairs without springs and heavy upholstery, and towards a clean, elegant design which could be adjusted in position. Some of these designs were so controversial that they remained in storage for many years until Mathsson made a name for himself. Mathsson was so concerned with what he referred to as the “mechanics of sitting” that he performed experiments to see what pattern was made by a human being while sitting, even plopping into snow to examine the result! By 1937, he had achieved a Grand Prix design award at the Paris Expo. By then, some of his once hidden chairs were being shown to the world again. One of his classic designs is the Bruno Mathsson Pernilla chair. It’s made in various formats with bentwood, incorporating lamination into the design itself. It can be made with webbing or upholstered. During the war, material shortages forced Mathsson to experiment with alternate fibers like jute and hemp, and thus this design can easily be adapted to other materials. These chairs traditionally include an attached pillow. A historical Bruno Mathsson design that captures a contemporary feel is the modular Bruno Mathsson Fällbord table. It is a well known Bruno Mathsson creation that came about in 1935 and can be configured in multiple different ways. His designs have held their popularity well into the 21st century by providing everlasting appeal. This appeal has proved consistent through his Bruno Mathsson Jetson, Miranda, Bruno Mathsson Eva and Pernilla chair designs as well. Another notable table (Mathsson bord) that is still particularly popular is the Mathsson Superellips. It is a huge testament to his work that so many pieces of his furniture (Mathsson möbler) continue to be in such high demand. Mathsson died in 1988 after an illness, leaving a legacy of his family craft taken to an even higher level. Bruno Mathsson was a Swedish designer famous for his furniture designs. Much of his design education was self-administered and over time he learned to branch out from traditional designs and incorporate a more functional feel to contemporary furniture. By studying the mechanics and variations in sitting styles, he was able to design one of his most famous designs, the Pernilla chair. Another of his many timeless pieces of furniture is the modular fällbord table. His classic designs are well suited to anyone looking for something a little different (annorlunda möbler) to much of the mass market furniture available today.
Tags: Bruno Mathsson, fällbord, Mathsson möbler
