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.
Danish Modular Wall System by Poul Cadovius, 1960s
By Poul Cadovius
Located in Beerse, VAN
Danish modular wall system, designed by Poul Cadovius in the 1950s. It’s made of teak wood and designed to be mounted directly to the wall. Such systems became popular in the 1950s...
Teak
Poul Cadovius for Cado Rosewood 3 Bay Danish Modern Shelving Unit
By Poul Cadovius, Cado
Located in New Windsor, NY
Rosewood three bay modular shelving unit designed by Poul Cadovius for Cado. Circa 1968. The Cado System is comprised of 26 separate parts: four wall mounted brackets, 12 shelf supports, three cabinets and seven shelves. There are two drop front cabinets, one for records which includes wire partitions and the other has a mirrored back with white laminate tops and the largest has two doors with a sliding surface for a stereo turntable...
Metal, Brass
Poul Cadovius for Cado/Royal System 3-Bay Wall Unit in Brazilian Rosewood
By Poul Cadovius, Royal System
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed in the late 1960s by Poul Cadovius, this 2nd generation wall unit was produced by Cado during the same time period. Cado as a company was founded when Poul began selling his...
Glass, Rosewood
Poul Cadovius Royal System Beech wood Bookcase 1960s
By Royal System, Poul Cadovius
Located in Den Haag, NL
Iconic Poul Cadovius Royal wall system ..Three uprights ,comes with 16 Beechwood shelves , complete with all the brackets ,and hardware . Ideal bookcase or storage space . Signed ...
Beech
Poul Cadovius "CADO" 3-bay Rosewood Modular Shelf System Wall Unit Denmark 1960
By Cado, Poul Cadovius
Located in Buffalo, NY
Stunning "CADO" 3-bay Rosewood Modular Shelf System Wall Unit designed by Poul Cadovius ,made in Denmark consisting of 4 modular cabinets and 10 adjustable shelves which can be arran...
Rosewood
Danish Teak 3-Bay Cado Modular Shelving System Poul Cadovius Bookshelf Desk 1960
By Poul Cadovius, Cado
Located in Sherborne, Dorset
A lovely 1960s three-bay Danish teak CADO shelving system designed by Paul Cadovius consisting of 11 shelves, four uprights, plus 22 brackets. These designer shelves are fully modula...
Teak
1960s Poul Cadovius for Cado 3-Bay Rosewood Wall Unit
By Poul Cadovius, Cado
Located in Knebel, DK
1960s Poul Cadovius for Cado 3-bay rosewood wall unit manufactored by Cado We are selling this rosewood wall unit as is for a client who has owned it for many years but no longer ha...
Rosewood
Midcentury Walnut Cado Display Shelf
By Poul Cadovius
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Beautiful Walnut Cado System display shelf thats meant to hold books or flat artwork. The shelf has a beautiful catch at the bottom preventing a book from...
Rosewood
Mid Century Teak Shelving System by P. Cadovius - Danish Wall Unit, Royal System
By Poul Cadovius, Cado
Located in München, Bavaria
Dimensions (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 master...
Glass, Teak
Danish Vintage Royal Shelving System by Poul Cadovius
By Poul Cadovius, Cado, Heal's
Located in London, GB
An outstanding Danish vintage royal shelving system by Poul Cadovius, made in Denmark by Cado. This dates from the 1960’s and was originally purchased in Heal’s. It is a very versat...
Wood
Poul Cadovius Wall Unit in Metal and Glass
By Poul Cadovius
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Poul Cadovius shelving system, lacquered metal, glass, Denmark, 1960s A striking modular shelving unit from Denmark, dating back to the 1960s a...
Metal
1960s wall shelf, Poul Cadovius
By Poul Cadovius, Cado
Located in Neuss, NW
Classic shelving system from the 1960s. The high-quality containers and shelves are veneered in teak. The system consists of nine shelves, a record container, and three wooden ladder...
Wood, Teak
2-Bay wall unit by Poul Cadovius
By Poul Cadovius
Located in Antwerp, BE
2-Bay teak wall unit, designed by Poul Cadovius and produced by Cadovius in Denmark, during the 1960’s. This Royal series system consists of three original wooden floating supports, ...
Teak
1950s wall unit, Poul Cadovius, vintage
By Poul Cadovius
Located in Neuss, NW
Classic shelving system from the 1950s. The high-quality shelves are veneered in teak. The system consists of seven shelves, a hinged table element, and three wooden ladders. Detai...
Teak
Danish Mid Century Poul Cadovius Cado Wall Unit Bookcase Freestanding
By Poul Cadovius
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Rare Poul Cadovius Single Wall Unit or Bookcase. Cabinets and Shelves can be re-arranged. 33wide 17deep 78tall
Brass
Danish Teak Wall Unit with 3 cabinets by Poul Cadovius for Cado, Denmark, 1960s
By Cado, Poul Cadovius
Located in Gaggenau, DE
Big Mid century Danish Teak Wall Unit with 3 cabinets by Poul Cadovius for Cado, Denmark, 1960s Danish design by Poul Cadovius Design year: 1960s Dimensions: : 22 ---- 38 D x ...
Teak
Danish Vintage Royal Shelving System by Poul Cadovius
By Cado, Poul Cadovius
Located in London, GB
An outstanding Danish vintage royal shelving system by Poul Cadovius, made in Denmark by Cado. This dates from the 1960’s and was originally purchased in Heal’s. It is a very versat...
Wood
Danish Modern Teak & Glass Shelving System Abstracta by Poul Cadovius, 1960s
By Poul Cadovius, Cado
Located in Odense, DK
Ingenious minimalist shelving or display unit SYSTEM ABSTRACTA designed by Poul Cadovius, Denmark, in the 1960s. The system consists of black metal...
Metal
Rare Mid-Century Modern Teak Wall Unit by Poul Cadovius, Denmark
By Poul Cadovius
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Rare handmade solitary teak wall unit with two shelves designed by acclaimed Danish designer Poul Cadovius in the 1960s. Solid smoothly rounded wooden brackets on which two shelves a...
Wood, Teak
Poul Cadovius 'abstracta' Shelf - 1960s
By Poul Cadovius
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Poul Cadovius 'abstracta' Shelf - 1960s Shelf - Decoration - Bookshelf Measures: 43x43cm H:171.5cm Materials: Smoked glass & chrome-plated steel This piece is attributed to the abov...
Chrome
1960s 1970s Rio Rosewood Shelving System by Poul Cadovius for Cado Denmark
By Poul Cadovius, Cado
Located in Neuenkirchen, NI
1960s/70s Rio Rosewood Shelving System by Poul Cadovius for Cado Denmark Object: Shelving Unit Manufacturer: Cado Condition: Good Age: Circa 1960-1970 Dimensions: Width = 241cm...
Rosewood
Danish Teak Wall Unit with Bar Cabinet by Poul Cadovius for Cado, Denmark, 1960
By Poul Cadovius, Cado
Located in Gaggenau, DE
Mid century Danish Teak Wall Unit with Bar Cabinet by Poul Cadovius for Cado, Denmark, 1960s Danish design by Poul Cadovius Design year: 1960s D...
Teak
Danish walnut Corner Wall-Mounted Shelving Unit, by Royal for Poul Cadovius
By Royal System, Poul Cadovius
Located in Gaggenau, DE
Midcentury Danish walnut Corner Wall-Mounted Shelving Unit, by Royal for Poul Cadovius, 1960s Once the wall mounted brackets are fixed. The brackets have holes in the sides that e...
Metal
Shelf by Poul Cadovius, Scandinavian design, 1960
By Cado, Poul Cadovius
Located in MONTESSON, FR
Wall shelf designed by the Danish designer Poul Cadovius in the 1960s for Cado. This piece of furniture in Rio rosewood is in keeping with Scandinavian design. This mid-century moder...
Rosewood
Danish Rosewood Wall Unit by Poul Cadovius for Cado, 1960s
By Poul Cadovius, Cado
Located in Asaa, DK
Danish Rosewood Wall Unit by Poul Cadovius for Cado 1960s. Danish Mid-Century Modern 1 bay shelving system model Cado. This is a original vintage floating bookcase designed by Danis...
Rosewood
Abstracta Modular Shelf by Poul Cadovius for Royal System Smoked Glass - 2 Pcs
By Poul Cadovius
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Abstracta Modular Shelf by Poul Cadovius for Royal System with Smoked Glass - 2 Pc Set. Item features 2 shelves with slight variation in shelf height, clean Modernist lines, great st...
Chrome
Set of Six Butterfly Copper Shelves by Poul Cadovius
By Poul Cadovius
Located in Allerum, SE
Set of six Danish mid-century copper "Butterfly" wall shelves, by Poul Cadovius. Where the shelves can be hung in different ways. Denmark, ca 1955.
Copper
Set of Three Butterfly Shelves by Poul Cadovius, 1960s
By Poul Cadovius
Located in Lejre, DK
Set of three midcentury shelves in metal. Designed and made by Poul Cadovius 1960s.
Metal
1960s wall unit, Poul Cadovius, vintage
By Poul Cadovius
Located in Neuss, NW
Classic shelving system from the 1960s. The high-quality containers and shelves are veneered in teak. The system consists of six shelves, two containers with glass doors, one contain...
Glass, Wood, Teak
Poul Cadovius Abstracta shelving unit teak Denmark 1960
By Poul Cadovius
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Introducing the elegant 'Abstracta' free standing shelving system, a stunning example of minimalistic design by Poul Cadovius, manufactured by Royal System in Denmark in 1960. This t...
Metal
Poul Cadovius 'Abstracta' Metal, Teak, Glass Modular Display Unit, Denmark 1960
By Poul Cadovius, Royal System
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
Minimal Danish design modular display shelving by Paul Cadovius Around 1960 Poul Cadovius made a huge impact on the shelving area of the Danish furniture industry – he designed a freestanding modular based shelving system in metal with endless combinations and able be assembled without using tools...
Metal
CADO Teak Butterfly Wall Shelves Set of 4 (NOS)
By Poul Cadovius, Cado
Located in Hanover, MA
We have 4 original 1960's CADO butterfly wall shelves in teak model 2030 by Poul Cadovious of Denmark. These are vintage unused New Old Stock. Three of the four have never been take...
Teak