1950s, A pair of Lounge Armchairs by O.H. Sjögren

From its humble beginnings as a saddlery more than 100 years ago, O.H. Sjögren has grown into one of Sweden’s largest upholstered furniture manufacturers and a leading contributor to Scandinavian modern style in the 20th and 21st centuries.

O.H. Sjögren was founded in 1902 by Oskar Herbert Sjögren, then a 25-year-old saddlemaker and journeyman, who took over a saddlery in Tranås, Sweden. By 1914, at the onset of World War I, Sjögren’s business had grown as supplies such as pack saddles and life belts were in high demand for Sweden’s military. In 1917, with the war in Europe still ongoing, O.H. Sjögren began a collaboration with the neighboring company Tranås Vagnfabrik to upholster seats for horse-drawn carriages. However, with the carriage market in decline by the 1930s, O.H. Sjögren shifted its operations to furniture upholstery.

From 1936 to 1973, O.H. Sjögren was helmed by Oskar’s sons, Ollie and Gustaf, who were determined to produce impeccable Scandinavian furniture. The manufacturer soon gained its largest and most important client, NK (Nordiska Kompaniet) in Stockholm, followed by renowned Swedish designer Carl Malmsten in 1956.

Malmsten’s partnership with O.H. Sjögren throughout the 1950s and 1960s was a great success. Together, the designer and manufacturer produced a wide variety of mid-century modern seating, such as the plush, classic Samsas sofa, the Lata Greven (Lazy Countess) lounge chair and the popular Farmor armchair.

In 1973, Ollie’s son Erik became head of O.H. Sjögren and attracted several major design brands, including Svenskt Tenn. Although the Swedish furniture industry was threatened by cheaper, imported, mass-produced furniture from elsewhere in Europe and Asia during the 1980s and 1990s, O.H. Sjögren endured in its success due to its reputation for high quality and formidable designs. 

Since 2005, O.H. Sjögren has been run by its fourth generation from the Sjögren family — Oskar’s great-grandsons Håkan and Jakob. The company continues to produce many of Malmsten’s most popular seating, as well as Svenskt Tenn’s classic designs. 

On 1stDibs, find a range of vintage O.H. Sjögren seating.