Bruno Mathsson was a famous Swedish furniture designer. Five generations of his family were cabinetmakers, including Bruno's father. Bruno, who was born in 1907, grew up in Varnamo learning how to make well crafted wood furniture. He developed the skills needed to become a woodworker and furniture designer.

After Mathsson became interested in the technical aspects of making furniture, he began to absorb all the information that he could about furniture making. He borrowed books from designers and museums, and contacted people who would become long-term associates and mentors. He became intrigued by functionalism as a result of his self-education in technical issues and design. He earned a scholarship with a functionalist chair design.

Feeling that traditional flat board furniture had too many limitations, Mathsson decided to try designing chairs with no springs at all and with light upholstery. He wanted the chairs to have clean, elegant lines and to be able to change positions. This was actually so controversial an idea at the time that some of his designs were hidden away until he became a well-known and respected designer.

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 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.

Another famous Bruno Mathsson design was the Mathsson Fällbord table, a modular table that can be folded and reconfigured in many different arrangements. It was designed in 1935 and remains a modern looking piece of furniture to this day. This timelessness is a common thread running through many of his designs including his highly sought after Mathsson Jetson, Miranda, Mathsson Eva and Pernilla chair designs.

Yet another piece of Mathsson furniture (Mathsson mobler) that MUST be mentioned here is another of his tables. The Mathsson superellips is also considered a classic and it seems like it will increase in value for many years to come. Mathsson passed away in 1988 leaving an amazing legacy of family heritage made great by his insight.

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 mobler) to much of the mass market furniture available today.