Poul Cadovius Chairs
Danish, 1911-2011
While Poul Cadovius is most famous for his modular floating shelving system, his career in design didn’t actually start with wall units.
Born just outside of Copenhagen in 1911, Cadovius began manufacturing window treatments in the 1940s with his partner, Hother Brønner. He soon turned his focus from Venetian blinds to furniture, finding success designing svelte pieces in teak, a richly colored hardwood favored by the Danish mid-century modernists.
In 1945, Cadovius founded the furniture manufacturer Royal System with his designs, including the 1948 Royal System shelving unit, a space-saving solution that underscored Cadovius’s penchant for problem-solving in a multifunctional way. Rather than balance shelves on wooden or metal legs, it held them to the wall with brackets.
Cadovius followed the Royal System shelving unit with the System Ultra in 1957, the System Cado in 1960 and the System Abstracta, which was installed throughout the exhibition halls of the 1962 Cologne Furniture Fair. All expanded on his idea of wall-mounted shelving that saved space while offering functionality, allowing for limitless combinations of storage, shelves, work surfaces and other units. The Royal System proved to be especially popular and is still produced by Danish furniture brand dk3 today, with early models continuing to be in demand.
Along with the shelving systems, Cadovius designed everything from lounge chairs to mushroom-shaped bus shelters, and he held over 400 patents. In addition to being a designer, he was also an entrepreneur with an eye for opportunity, such as purchasing Danish manufacturer France & Søn in the mid-1960s and folded it into Cado, a company he founded years earlier. He used this as an occasion to experiment with his designs, conceiving such unusual pieces as an aluminum-based dining table topped with rosewood and hand-painted by artist Susan Fjedldoe Mygge.
Cadovius’s innovations in shelving continued throughout his career, with examples like the sculptural Butterfly shelf and vertical pieces mixing shelving and storage. In 2018, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Royal System, dk3 reissued the celebrated shelving system as well as a more compact version reimagined for 21st-century homes.
Find a collection of vintage Poul Cadovius storage cabinets, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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Creator: Poul Cadovius
PIA Chair by Poul Cadovius, Walnut
By Poul Cadovius, DK3
Located in Paris, FR
PIA chair
Solid oak frame, paper cordel seat
Dimensions: H 75 x 49 x 48 cm (seat height 45cm)
Wood:
– Oak
– Smoked oak
– Black lacquered oak
– Walnut
Paper cordel:
– Natural
– Black (Contact us)
--
The Pia chair signed by DK3 was imagined and designed by the famous designer Poul...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Scandinavian Modern Poul Cadovius Chairs
Materials
Walnut
PIA Chair by Poul Cadovius - Light Oak
By Poul Cadovius, DK3
Located in Paris, FR
PIA Chair
Solid oak frame, paper cordel seat
Dimensions: H75 x 49 x 48 cm (seat height 45cm)
Wood:
– Oak
– Smoked oak
– Black lacquered oak
– Walnut
Paper cordel:
– Natural
– Black (Contact us)
--
The Pia chair signed by DK3 was imagined and designed by the famous designer Poul Codavius...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Scandinavian Modern Poul Cadovius Chairs
Materials
Oak
PIA Chair by Poul Cadovius - Black Lacquered Oak
By Poul Cadovius, DK3
Located in Paris, FR
PIA Chair
Solid oak frame, paper cordel seat
Dimensions: H75 x 49 x 48 cm (seat height 45cm)
Wood:
– Oak
– Smoked oak
– Black lacquered oak
– Walnut
Paper ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Scandinavian Modern Poul Cadovius Chairs
Materials
Oak
PIA Chair by Poul Cadovius - Smoked Oak
By Poul Cadovius, DK3
Located in Paris, FR
PIA chair
Solid oak frame, paper cordel seat
Dimensions: H 75 x 49 x 48 cm (seat height 45cm)
Wood:
– Oak
– Smoked oak
– Black lacquered oak
– Walnut
Paper...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Scandinavian Modern Poul Cadovius Chairs
Materials
Oak
President Lounge Chair by Steen Ostergaard for Poul Cadovius, Denmark 1970s
By Steen Ostergaard, Poul Cadovius
Located in Haderslev, DK
Iconic lounge chair from the 1970s by Steen Ostergaard for Poul Cadovius.
The model is called President lounge chair.
It has been fully r...
Category
1970s Danish Space Age Vintage Poul Cadovius Chairs
Materials
Felt, Fiberglass
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ABOUT THE DESIGNER:
Educated Cabinetmaker and Imagery Carver – Bronze Medal 1957.
Graduated from the SCHOOL of ARTS & CRAFTS, Copenhagen, Denmark 1960, with certificate – Highest Marks.
Officer in the Royal Danish Army 1960-1962.
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Own Design offices in Denmark, respectively England, Germany and France.
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Poul Cadovius chairs for sale on 1stDibs.
Poul Cadovius chairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Poul Cadovius chairs, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 1 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 4 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original chairs by Poul Cadovius were created in the Scandinavian Modern style in scandinavia during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider chairs by Kensaku Oshiro, PP Møbler, and Henning Kjærnulf. Prices for Poul Cadovius chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,212 and can go as high as $8,490, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,341.