Shelving System Wall Unit by Poul Cadovius
About the Item
- Creator:Poul Cadovius (Designer),Cado (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 98.43 in (250 cm)Width: 125.99 in (320 cm)Depth: 18.9 in (48 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1958
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses.
- Seller Location:Vienna, AT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1174215787182
Poul Cadovius
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. He followed it 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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Vienna, Austria
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Wall Unit by Ludvik Volak for Drevopodnik HolesovBy Ludvik VolakLocated in Vienna, ATFlower (dividing) wall made of the bent beech plywood and features geometric paterns. In restored condition. This is the seldom version with the round corners. Designed by Ludvik V...Category
Vintage 1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Screens and Room Dividers
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Wall Unit by Ludvik Volak for Drevopodnik Holesov MahoganyBy Ludvik VolakLocated in Vienna, ATFlower (dividing) wall made of the bent beech and mahogany plywood and features geometric patterns. In an excellent restored condition. Designed in the early 1960s by Ludvik Volak a...Category
Vintage 1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Screens and Room Dividers
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Wall Chart Depicting Human Muscles SystemLocated in Vienna, ATWall chart depicting human muscles system. Probably from the 1950s. Colorful print on paper. Good original condition, age-related traces of usage.Category
Vintage 1950s Norwegian Posters
MaterialsPaper
- Modular String Wall Unit in Teak by Nisse StrinningBy Kajsa Strinning 1, String Design ABLocated in Vienna, ATString wall shelf wall unit designed by Nils and Kajsa Strinning in 1949. This one was made in the 1960s in Sweden. A good vintage condition, traces of use due to the age, yellowed h...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsSteel
- Modular String Wall Unit in Ashwood by Nisse Strinning, SwedenBy Kajsa Strinning 1, String Design ABLocated in Vienna, ATString regal wall unit designed by Nils and Kajsa Strinning in 1949. This one was made in the 1960s in Sweden. A very good vintage condition, slight trac...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsSteel
- Large Atomic RS-System Chandelier by KalmarBy J.T. KalmarLocated in Vienna, ATRare RS 16 HL System by J.T. Kalmar from the 1970s. The construction is made of four long and four short tubes and 16 hand blow glass shades (each 12cm or 4,72inch diameter), powered...Category
Vintage 1970s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsAluminum
- Poul Cadovius Cado Royal System Wall Unit Shelving Bookcase 1960s 1970s in TeakBy Cado, Poul CadoviusLocated in Markington, GBA wonderful large 5 Bay mid century Danish vintage PS wall unit in teak, this dates from the 1960s. The condition is excellent for its age, little wear to be seen, the teak has a stu...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
MaterialsTeak
- 1960s Shelving system, Poul CadoviusBy Poul CadoviusLocated in Neuss, NWClassic shelving system from the 1960s. The high-quality containers and shelves are veneered in teak. The system consists of 15 shelves, two containers with hinged doors, one contain...Category
Antique 1660s Danish Shelves
MaterialsTeak
- Small Poul Cadovius Wall Unit, Mid-Century Shelf Royal System, DenmarkBy Cado, Poul CadoviusLocated in München, BavariaDimensions (Width x Depth x Height) ca. 82,5 x 40 / 50 x 203 cm Elevate your living space with this vintage mid-midcentury modern Poul Cadovius Royal System Wall Unit, a true masterpiece of Scandinavian design. Crafted by the iconic Danish designer Poul Cadovius in the 1950s, the Royal System is celebrated for its versatility, functionality, and timeless aesthetic. Crafted in solid teakwood, walnut and veneer this wall unit seamlessly blends into various interior styles. The unit features a combination of open shelves and a cabinet, providing ample storage space while maintaining a sleek and uncluttered appearance. The modular design allows for customization, making it adaptable to different room configurations and needs. This Vintage Poul Cadovius...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsGlass, Teak
- 1960s Poul Cadovius Modular Teak 3-Bay Danish Royal System Wall Unit ShelvingBy Royal System, Poul CadoviusLocated in Sherborne, DorsetThis highly versatile and functional “Royal System” was originally designed by Poul Cadovius in 1948. This three-bay teak shelving system offers a wide variety of storage and display...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsMetal
- Danish Poul Cadovius Wall Unit, Mid-Century Modern Shelf Royal System, DenmarkBy Cado, Poul CadoviusLocated in München, BavariaDimensions (Width x Depth x Height) ca. 240 x 40 / 50 x 203 cm Elevate your living space with this vintage mid-midcentury modern Poul Cadovius Royal System Wall Unit, a true masterpiece of Scandinavian design. Crafted by the iconic Danish designer Poul Cadovius in the 1950s, the Royal System is celebrated for its versatility, functionality, and timeless aesthetic. Crafted in solid teak wood and veneer this wall unit seamlessly blends into various interior styles. The unit features a combination of open shelves that come in different depths, one of them working as desk, two closed cabinet boxes, a display case with two glas shelfs and one small chest of drawers providing ample storage space while maintaining a sleek and uncluttered appearance. The modular design allows for customization, making it adaptable to different room configurations and needs. This Vintage Poul Cadovius...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsGlass, Teak
- Vintage Poul Cadovius Wall Unit, Mid-Century Modern Shelf Royal System, DenmarkBy Cado, Poul CadoviusLocated in München, BavariaDimensions (Width x Depth x Height) ca. 240 x 40 / 50 x 203 cm Elevate your living space with this vintage mid-midcentury modern Poul Cadovius Royal System Wall Unit, a true masterpiece of Scandinavian design. Crafted by the iconic Danish designer Poul Cadovius in the 1950s, the Royal System is celebrated for its versatility, functionality, and timeless aesthetic. Crafted in solid teak wood and veneer this wall unit seamlessly blends into various interior styles. The unit features a combination of open shelves that come in different depths, of one them working as desk, a closed cabinet box and a display case with two glasses shelfs that are not shown in the images, providing ample storage space while maintaining a sleek and uncluttered appearance. The modular design allows for customization, making it adaptable to different room configurations and needs. This Vintage Poul Cadovius Royal System...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsTeak, Glass
