In recent years, pine has become a major Swedish export success, driven by rising timber prices. This trend has also elevated the value of Swedish pine furniture designed by Axel Einar Hjorth, the former chief architect of Nordiska Kompaniet, which is now achieving record prices at auction.
This heightened interest is partly due to some of the world’s most renowned interior designers, who have introduced 1930s Swedish pine furniture into the homes of Hollywood’s biggest stars. For instance, photos of the Utö table have been featured in the homes of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in Los Angeles.
"Axel Einar Hjorth’s now world-famous lye-stained pine furniture was originally crafted for newly built holiday homes in the Stockholm archipelago, but it has now gained widespread popularity – and it’s not just Kim Kardashian and Kanye West who have decorated with it," says Pontus Silfverstolpe, antiques expert and co-founder of the auction site Barnebys.
See also: Axel Einar Hjorth: Modernism's Common Man
At Dalarnas Auktionsbyrå, an auction house in central Sweden, the most expensive Swedish pine sofa ever sold at auction was auctioned yesterday. The sofa, part of a complete furniture set designed by Axel Einar Hjorth, retained its rare original upholstery, which had been ordered from the former manufacturer Erik Andersson in Mora. The Sandhamn series sofa was sold for 530,000 kronor (about £48,850 including fees).
"The furniture has been extremely popular in the global second-hand market. Recently, though, some newly made replicas have been passed off as 1930s originals. The pieces sold at Dalarnas Auktionsbyrå, on the other hand, meet all the authentic criteria."
"They have everything a buyer could wish for: the provenance (i.e., previous ownership), original condition with the rare Trasmatta upholstery, and perhaps most importantly, the purchase receipt dated 14th September 1935," continues Pontus Silfverstolpe.
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"Today, a piece of furniture can fetch tens of thousands of pounds, and even more when it reaches its final buyers across the Atlantic. The purchase receipt highlights the remarkable increase in value, considering that the table, which likely cost Kim Kardashian around £70,000, was priced at just £7 when Mr. Anderson bought it," concludes Pontus Silfverstolpe.
