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.

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.

Mathsson wasn't content with building only the flat board furniture his family traditionally crafted. His furniture was designed with clean, elegant lines including some chairs with positional adjustments. Some of the chairs he worked on didn't have springs or upholstery. His ideas were revolutionary for his time. Therefore, he put some of his early items into storage until he had become famous in the furniture-making world.

Mathsson was so interested in what he termed "the mechanics of sitting", that he decide to attempt experiments to learn which pattern a human made when they sat down, even going to the extent of sitting in the snow to observe the result. Mathsson received a Grand Prix design award in 1937. By that time, his chairs were being displayed to the world again.

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 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 Jetson, Miranda, Eva and Pernilla chair designs.

Another notable table (Mathsson bord) that is still particularly popular is the Mathsson Superellips. It is a huge testament to his work that so many pieces of his furniture (Mathsson mobler) continue to be in such high demand. Mathsson died in 1988 after an illness, leaving a legacy of his family craft taken to an even higher level.

Swedish designer Bruno Mathsson was born in Varnamo in 1907 into a woodworking tradition. He wanted to learn everything he could about the technical issues and design styles he worked with. Since he wasn't satisfied with the limitations imposed by flat board furniture (mobler), Mathsson branched out to chairs without springs and heavy upholstery. The Pernilla chair is one of his classic designs. It comes in both easy chair and lounge chair formats. Another historical piece that captures a contemporary feel is the modular Fällbord table. His designs have held their popularity well into the 21st century.