1950s Teak 4-Bay Modular Danish Royal System Shelving Poul Cadovius Bar 17 piece

View Similar Items

1960s Poul Cadovius Modular Teak 3-Bay Danish Royal System Wall Unit Shelving

Wall Unit in Elmwood by Poul Cadovius for Royal System, Denmark, 1950s

Danish Modern Teak & Glass Shelving System Abstracta by Poul Cadovius, 1960s

Poul Cadovius for Royal System Wall System Book Shelves in Teak, Denmark, 1950s

Rare Poul Cadovius Royal System Teak Double Sided Room Divider, Denmark

Large 1950s Italian Mid Century Teak Maple Freestanding Shelving System 18 Piece

Set of 6 Butterfly Shelves in Teak by Poul Cadovius, 1950's

Poul Cadovius Teak Modular Freestanding Royal System Shelf, Danemark, 1960s

1960s Shelving system, Poul Cadovius

Poul Cadovius Teak Royal Wall System 1950/60 Denmark

Poul Cadovius 'Abstracta' Metal, Teak, Glass Modular Display Unit, Denmark 1960

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 21

1950s Teak 4-Bay Modular Danish Royal System Shelving Poul Cadovius Bar 17 piece

About the Item

This highly versatile and functional “Royal System” was designed by Poul Cadovius in 1948. This particular set is first generation ‘Danish Royal’ characterized by the rarely seen ‘orange-slice’ brass handles. Simply hung on brass pins and hangers from a series of holes that run the full length of the five uprights, and offers a wide variety of storage and display options. Comprising four bays consisting of two drop-down cupboards, the first with a single shelf, the second a bar containing two bent ply drawers and wire bottle holder. A three-drawer chest of drawers, two sliding glass fronted cabinets, one twin-door cupboard with sliding doors and six shelves of various sizes. Supplied with a single key, which opens both drop-down boxes. There are some obvious areas of wear, which I’ve photographed, however as it has been very well looked after over the last 70 odd years the decision was made to retain its original finish and patina - it has simply been cleaned and polished, and in our opinion looks just as it ought to. Complete with Danish Royal system badge fitted to the inside of the top drawer. It is worth noting, the BS 1960 does not signify the year of production, but is the British Standard Institutes commodity code 1960 for imported furniture "predominantly made of wood" suggesting the set was imported into the UK from new. 5 x Uprights: 180cm H x 2cm D x 3.5cm W 1 x Chests of Drawers: 43cm H x 37cm D x 80cm W 2 x Glass fronted Cabinets: 33.5cm H x 30cm D x 80cm W 1 x Sliding door Cupboard: 33.5cm H x 30cm D x 80cm W 1 x Dropdown bar: 43cm H x 37cm D x 80cm W 1 x Dropdown with shelf: 43cm H x 37cm D x 80cm W 6 x Shelves: various widths.

Creator:
Poul Cadovius (Designer),Royal System (Cabinetmaker)
Dimensions:
Height: 70.87 in (180 cm)Width: 126.38 in (321 cm)Depth: 14.57 in (37 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 17
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Brass,Glass,Teak
Place of Origin:
Denmark
Period:
Mid-20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1950s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Sherborne, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU4257232498682

Shop All Poul Cadovius

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.