The Private Collection of Interior Designer Lars Bolander Heads to Auction
On Saturday, March 21, 2015, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers will offer fine art, furniture, and decorative objects from Lars Bolander’s private collection. One of Sweden’s foremost interior designers, Bolander is also a leading design figure stateside. Influenced by his diverse background, Scandinavian heritage, and extensive travels, Bolander has developed a singular style that celebrates simplicity as well as theatricality. From mountaintop cottages to Caribbean homes, Bolander’s designs deftly blend ideas and geographic styles, making him a favorite among international clientele.
Bolander’s fascination with design, particularly furniture, was solidified during his early education at the Stockholm School of Art and continued to flourish under the tutelage of the legendary Swedish designer Carl Malmsten. Malmsten, who placed a strong emphasis on craftsmanship, designed furniture that was both rustic and graceful -- elements that continue to permeate Bolander’s work. After completing his studies, Bolander began working in London for the interior designer Gaby Schreiber. Shortly after setting out on his own, Bolander began working exclusively for the German industrialist Gunter Sachs, designing properties that spanned the globe. In 1987, Bolander established a retail antiques business in East Hampton, New York, with his wife Nadine. Bolander currently operates two showrooms -- one in New York City’s Fine Arts Building, a haven for elite architects and designers, and another on Palm Beach’s inimitable Antiques Row.
After many years in Palm Beach, Bolander has decided to sell his nearby home, Bamboo Hill, as well as his personal collection in order to establish a residence elsewhere. Bolander says, “We have lived with these items and have certainly enjoyed them; now it is time to change.” The collection, which is both coherent and varied, classic and whimsical, includes traditional Swedish forms, such as Gustavian chairs, a Gustavian settee, and works by the Swedish artist Dan Nygard, as well as one-of-a-kind pieces acquired through Bolander’s worldwide explorations. Highlights include a number of paintings by the Hungarian artist Francois Gall; a pair of Italian marble busts; a pair of French painted tabourets; a leather upholstered chromed metal daybed after the design by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe; and silvered brass ram heads used in Bolander’s personal logo.
Bolander has authored two books -- Lars Bolander. Interior Design and Inspiration, which highlights the international influences that have helped shape Bolander’s taste for elegant, dramatic interiors, and Lars Bolander’s Scandinavian Design, which discusses styles of the past and future from all four Scandinavian countries -- Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. Bolander’s interiors have been featured in House Beautiful, Vogue, Home & Design, World of Interiors, Southern Accents, The Robb Report, American House & Garden, English House & Garden, Chinese Residence, Elle Décor, Architectural Digest, and The Wall Street Journal. To view projects by Lars Bolander on InCollect, please click HERE.
The private collection of Lars Bolander is on view at Leslie Hindman’s West Palm Beach showroom now through Friday, March 20, 2015.