Bruno Mathsson: Furniture Designer On The Cutting Edge

ish designer Bruno Mathsson was born in Varnamo informats with bentwood and lamination techniques
1907 into a woodworking tradition. His father was aemployed as part of the design. It can be upholstered
well known cabinetmaker producing well crafted woodor made with webbing. During war shortages of
furniture as had the four generations of Mathsson'smaterials, Mathsson experimented with jute and hemp
before him. He grew up learning the technical skills toand anything else he could obtain, and this design can
make furniture, the feel and nature of wood and thebe adapted to nearly any wood or material. Bruno
tradition of excellence.Mathsson Pernilla chairs typically have an attached
After Matsson became interested in the technicalpillow.
aspects of making furniture, he began to absorb all theAnother of Mathsson's famous designs is the Bruno
information that he could about furniture making. HeMathsson Fällbord table, which was a modular
borrowed books from designers and museums, andtable design allowing folding and reconfiguration in
contacted people who would become long-termmany different layouts. Designed in 1935, it remains to
associates and mentors. He became intrigued bythis day a strikingly modern piece of furniture. Its
functionalism as a result of his self-education intimelessness is similar to many of his other works,
technical issues and design. He earned a scholarshipwhich are highly sought after even today.
with a functionalist chair design.One more table that deserves a mention here is the
Matsson wasn't content with building only the flat boardsuperellips. It comes in many different models and as
furniture his family traditionally crafted. His furniture waswith much of his furniture are still highly sought after
designed with clean, elegant lines including some chairsand continue to increase in value. Mathsson passed
with positional adjustments. Some of the chairs heaway in 1988 after a long illness, passing a legacy of
worked on didn't have springs or upholstery. His ideasmodern furniture design down to his family.
were revolutionary for his time. Therefore, he putSwedish designer Bruno Mathsson was born in
some of his early items into storage until he hadVarnamo in 1907 into a woodworking tradition. He
become famous in the furniture-making world.grew up learning the technical skills to make classic
Mathsson was so interested in what he termed "thedesigner furniture, the feel and nature of wood and the
mechanics of sitting", that he decide to attempttradition of excellence. He taught himself by reading
experiments to learn which pattern a human madebooks from museums and design centers and
when they sat down, even going to the extent ofnetworking with other designers. Functionalism was a
sitting in the snow to observe the result. Mathssondesign style that Bruno was very interested in. The
received a Grand Prix design award in 1937. By thatbruno mathsson pernilla chair is one of his classic
time, his chairs were being displayed to the worlddesigns. A historical piece that captures a
again.contemporary feel is his modular fällbord table.
One of his classic designs is the Bruno MathssonMathsson passed away in 1988 leaving an amazing
Pernilla chair. It is made in easy chair and lounge chairlegacy of family heritage made great by his insight.