Lilla Åland by Carl Malmsten – 80 Years Stolab

Lilla Åland, the Windsor-style spindle chair designed by Carl Malmsten, has been in continuous production since 1942 — a run of eight decades without interruption from the same factory in Smålandsstenar, Sweden.

Malmsten’s starting point was a set of high-backed spindle chairs he encountered in the vestry of the medieval Finström Church on the Finnish archipelago of Åland during a woodcrafting course in 1938–1939.

As Malmsten wrote in his book Levande svensk tradition: “The curved verve of the seat and the caressing, backside-friendly recess, as well as the staged ascent of the legs and 8 spindles bore witness to a masterly feeling for construction and rhythmical expression.” His response was Lilla Åland — a reduced version suited to machine production and contemporary homes.

Production began at Stolab, the furniture manufacturer in Smålandsstenar with which Malmsten established a long-term working relationship. The chair is built from solid birch or oak, with an optional leather or upholstered seat cushion. The back consists of eight turned spindles with the characteristic recess in the saddle-shaped seat. Finishes include clear varnish, light matt varnish, oil and paint.

To mark the 80th anniversary in 2022, Stolab produced a limited edition run of 2,022 Lilla Åland chairs finished in smoked oak oil. The normal smoking process uses ammonia; for the special edition, a warm dark stain covered with low-aromatic oil was substituted to reduce environmental impact. Stolab worked with Dezeen on a three-part documentary series, Stolab Stories, as part of the anniversary programme.

Carl Malmsten (1888–1972) was one of the most significant Swedish furniture designers of the twentieth century, known for his commitment to traditional craftsmanship, natural materials and furniture that could be produced for a broad public. He founded two design schools whose influence continues through Malmstens design school at Linköping University.