Cado Shelves
About the Item
- Creator:Poul Cadovius (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 0.5 in (1.27 cm)Width: 9.5 in (24.13 cm)Depth: 31.5 in (80.01 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Very good original condition. Various surface scratches and wear. They have been cleaned and Danish oiled.
- Seller Location:Atlanta, GA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU871819614552
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.
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Atlanta, GA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Lacquered Ziggurat Form Wall Shelves or SconcesBy Karl SpringerLocated in Atlanta, GAPair of sculptural Ziggurat form wall shelves or sconces, in the manner of Karl Springer, unsigned, American, circa 1970s. If you prefer to use them as sconces, we can wire them up f...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsWood
- Louise Nevelson Style Wall Sculpture Book ShelfBy Louise NevelsonLocated in Atlanta, GASculptural Bookshelf, in the manner of Louise Nevelson, unsigned, American, circa 1960s. This wall mounted shelf has space to store books or displ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsMetal
- Lucite and Black Glass Shelf attributed to Karl SpringerBy Karl SpringerLocated in Atlanta, GALucite and black glass shelf, attributed to Karl Springer, American, circa 1970s. We have three of these shelves available. They are priced at $1200 e...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsGlass, Lucite
- 1930s Art Deco Bookshelf in the Manner of Gilbert Rohde RefinishedBy Gilbert RohdeLocated in Atlanta, GA1930s Art Deco Bookcase, in the manner of Gilbert Rohde, American, circa 1930s. This came from the same estate as the Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller desk...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Shelves
MaterialsMetal
- Group of Tall Metal Mixing Bowl RacksLocated in Atlanta, GAGroup of tall metal mixing bowl racks. From left to right they are: 1) Patinated brass mixing bowl rack, probably American, circa 1930s. It measures 51.5" H...Category
Vintage 1930s American Industrial Shelves
MaterialsIron, Metal
- Finn Juhl Rosewood Modular Bookcase SystemBy Finn JuhlLocated in Atlanta, GARosewood "Diplomat" model modular bookcase system, designed by Finn Juhl for France and Sons, Denmark, circa 1960s. This set is extremely versatile and can be laid out any way you li...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsMetal, Chrome
- Danish Modern Poul Cadovius Cado Teak Modular Wall Unit ShelvesBy Poul CadoviusLocated in Chesterfield, NJLarge three bay teak Cado wall system designed by Poul Cadovius and made in Denmark. This unit has beautiful color and a nice active grain pattern, and includes three wall panels for...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Cabinets
MaterialsTeak
- Mid Century Danish Modern Teak Floating Shelves Cado Wall Unit by Poul CadoviusBy Poul CadoviusLocated in Philadelphia, PAA modular wall unit designed by Poul Cadovius and produced in the 1960's. It features all teak construction with two cabinets and three shelves. In great ready to use condition.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Shelves
MaterialsBrass
- Midcentury Walnut Cado Display ShelfBy Poul CadoviusLocated in BROOKLYN, NYBeautiful 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...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsRosewood
- Poul Cadovius for Cado "Royal System" Modular Wall Shelve, circa 1948By Poul Cadovius, CadoLocated in Barcelona, Barcelona'Royal System' wall shelve designed by Poul Cadovius, circa 1948. Manufactured by Cado in Denmark. In good original condition with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful patina. Materials: Wood Metal Dimensions: D 20.2 cm x W 60.5 cm x H 99 cm Poul Cadovius (1911-2011) was a Danish designer and manufacturer. Trained as a saddler and upholster, Cadovius became interested in industrial design and established his own furniture manufacturing company under the name of Royal Systems in 1945. Between 1964-1967, Cadovius purchased the well-established furniture manufacturer France & Søn and renamed the company Cado. Cadovius collaborated with the impressive roster of iconic Danish designers through France & Søn and Cado, including Sigvar Bernadotte, Grete Jalk, Arne Vodder, Edvard Kindt-Larsen, and Finn Juhl. His minimalistic aesthetic is considered a perfect harmony between form and function, industrial and organic, affordable and elegant. Although the Royal System shelving unit...Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsMetal
- Poul Cadovius Royal Wall Unit in Teak for Cado, 1960By Poul CadoviusLocated in Esbjerg, DKMidcentury royal system with 3 shelves. It was designed by Poul Cadovius and manufactured by Cado in Denmark during the 1960s. This unit is modular and you can easily without any too...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Shelves
MaterialsTeak
- Danish Modern Modular Teak Wall Unit by Poul Cadovius for Cado 1950sBy Cado, Poul CadoviusLocated in Asaa, DKVintage Danish teak wall unit by Poul Cadovius for Cado, 1950s. Mid-Century Modern 2 bay shelving system model Royal. This is a original vintage floating bookcase designed in 1948 by Danish architect Poul Cadovius. Cadovius had the revolutionary idea to design a floating, modular shelving system that would maximize floor space and signify the end of conformity in shelving. The Royal System shelving unit...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsTeak