Bruno Mathsson was a Swedish designer who was born in Varnamo in 1907 into a woodworking tradition. His father a well known cabinetmaker and furniture maker was well known as well as having four generations of Mathsson wood workers before him. The things he learned growing up were the feel and nature of wood, the tradition of excellence, and the technical skills that are essential when making furniture.

Mathsson was fascinated with the technical issues in furniture design and began reading everything he could obtain, borrowing books from museums and design centers and making contacts that would prove to be lifelong mentors and associates. Largely self-educated in the technical issues and design styles, he became fascinated with functionalism. One of his functionalist designs for a chair eventually gained him a scholarship.

Not content with the limitations of traditional flat board furniture, Mathsson 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 worried about the “mechanics of sitting”. He did tests to see what kind of pattern a human being made when sitting. He even sat in the snow to see what effect it would have. Mathsson won the Grand Prix design award in 1937 at the Paris Expo. Bruno was finally able to get his once hidden chairs out for the world to see once he obtained some recognition.

One of his classic designs is the Mathsson 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. Mathsson Pernilla chairs typically have an attached pillow.

In 1935 Bruno Mathsson designed the Mathsson Fällbord table. This became one of his most famous designs for a modular table that can be configured in many different ways which is still as modern today as it was in the 1930s. In fact, there is a timelessness about most of Mathsson’s designs, including his highly-desired Mathsson Jetson, Miranda, Mathsson Eva and Pernilla chairs.

One more table (Bruno Mathsson bord) that deserves a mention here is the superellips. It comes in many different models and as with much of his furniture (Mathsson möbler) are still highly sought after and continue to increase in value. Mathsson passed away in 1988 after a long illness, passing a legacy of modern furniture design down to his family.

Bruno Mathsson (1907-1988) was a Swedish furniture (möbler) designer who was concerned about the “mechanics of sitting”. After learning a great deal about woodworking from his cabinet making father, he went on to carry out much research into the way people sit and used this in his classic Mathsson Pernilla Chair design. This chair uses bent and laminated wood with various types of materials for upholstery. Another of his creations was the Fällbord table which has several configurations. After winning a design award in 1937, his designs went on to receive widespread popularity even into the 21st Century.

- Richard Guilfoyle

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