Carl Malmsten (1888-1972) devoted his life to the renewal of traditional Swedish craftsmanship, inspired by Swedish country manors and rustic styles. Malmsten's influence on Swedish furniture design is particularly significant through the schools he founded; the Carl Malmsten Furniture Studies in Stockholm and Capellagården on the island of Ö
land, both of which are still in operation. It was Malmsten's wish to restore elements of the old master - apprentice institution that united professionalism with an education in craftsmanship. Carl Malmsten was an individualist who took a strong position against the functionalism, which blossomed during the 1930s. As an alternative he put forward a totally different program for a renewal of architecture and goods for everyday use. He fought for the right of humans to experience beauty.
In the 1950s Carl Malmsten introduced a cooperative project, "Nyckelverkstäderna", with a number of highly qualified workshops. The project was intended to draw on the experience of industrial furniture manufacturing techniques without lowering the standards of artisanship and quality. The remaining workshops are the ones who still today manufacture the classic range of Malmsten furniture.