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Bruno Mathsson was descended from five generations of the production of top-quality wood furniture. Bruno was born in Varnamo, Sweden in 1907, and the love of fine wood-crafting was in his blood. Under his father's tutelage he learned technical furniture-making skills, the textures and capabilities of a variety of woods, and the importance of always striving for excellence.

Furniture designer Mathsson wanted to learn everything he could about the technical issues and design styles he worked with. He taught himself by reading books from museums and design centers and networking with other designers. Functionalism was a design style that Bruno was very interested in. He actually won a scholarship for one of his functionalist chair designs.

Not content with the limitations of traditional flat board furniture, Mathsson experimented with chairs without the springs and heavy upholstery, some that could be adjusted in position, and all with clean, elegant line. Some were so controversial that they were hidden in storage until he became a famous name.

Mathsson was so anxious about the thing he calls the "mechanics of sitting" that he conducted trials to determine the precise blueprint which was created by a person while reclining, even dropping in the snow to look at the result! By 1937, he had attained a Grand Prix design honor at an Expo in Paris. At that time, a few of his lost chairs began to be viewed by the public again.

One of his classic designs is the Bruno Mathsson Pernilla chair. It is made in easy chair and lounge chair formats with bentwood and lamination techniques employed as part of the design. It can be upholstered or made with webbing. During war shortages of materials, Mathsson experimented with jute and hemp and anything else he could obtain, and this design can be adapted to nearly any wood or material. Bruno Mathsson Pernilla chairs typically have an attached pillow.

Another of Mathsson's famous designs is the Mathsson Fällbord table, which was a modular table design allowing folding and reconfiguration in many different layouts. Designed in 1935, it remains to this day a strikingly modern piece of furniture. Its timelessness is similar to many of his other works, which are highly sought after even today.

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.