Lilla Åland Chair | Birch
Carl Malmsten
Lilla Åland - Made to last for generations to come
When Swedes think of a chair, it’s made from solid turned wood. It goes by many names, “peg chair” being the most common. It comes in many varieties, from elaborately decorated models from the 19th century to attempts to recreate by means of modernistic reduction.
But there is only one original icon, launched in 1942. It has become the point of reference for all traditional Swedish chairs.
It’s called Lilla Åland and it has been there for Swedes ever since gaining popularity in the 1940’s – the background of breakfasts and birthdays, tears and laughter, celebrations and microwave dinners. Times have changed since 1942, but Lilla Åland has stood there, quietly in the background yet with a shape that is instantly recognizable.
The design is by Carl Malmsten, one of the few Swedish designers that is also a household name, his being synonymous with craftsmanship, quality and longevity. But in case of Lilla Åland, the design was spontaneous and almost accidental. The prototype was found in a church on the island of Åland in and promptly turned into a drawing by Sven Fryklund, a colleague of Carl Malmsten. Ironically, Åland is an autonomous island belonging to Finland, so the most Swedish of all chairs is not really that Swedish. Also, in spite of it’s name – “lilla” means little – it’s not that small. It’s a generous, comfortable and welcoming chair that lends itself to long conversations and dinners that turn into a game of Monopoly.
As with all icons, Lilla Åland lends itself to your style. It comes in subdued finishes as well as punchy colours, it’s at home in the city and the countryside too. It’s graphic perfection when new and patinated charisma when vintage. It’s all a chair can be. It’s there for you, just as it has been for generations.
For us at Stolab, sustainability means producing furniture that is of high quality and has such a timeless shape that it will last for generations. And no piece of furniture can represent this better than Lilla Åland. For those who care about sustainability in both function and aesthetics, we are now offering a 20-year guarantee on our Lilla Åland stick chairs in solid oak and birch. A good start for what we hope will be a lifelong relationship.
The Lilla Åland family
