Sven Staaf was originally from Stockholm and worked there as an architect for some years before moving to Helsingborg in southern Sweden where he established his own firm, Almgren & Staaf. Almgren & Staaf was a successful furniture and interior decoration firm from the 1940s to the 1960s, attracting customers mainly among the upper middle class in Skåne. In 1955 Staaf participated in the international exhibition for architecture and design, H55, in Helsingborg, where he both exhibited his furniture and designed some of the public areas, such as restaurants.
Staaf’s furniture was seen as progressive and edgy and he was able to expand with stores in several Swedish cities. His stores were later bought by and merged into Nordiska Kompaniet (NK).
