Poul Cadovius Open Shelving Unit or Room Divider
View Similar Items
Poul Cadovius Open Shelving Unit or Room Divider
About the Item
- Creator:Poul Cadovius (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 81.11 in (206 cm)Width: 95.87 in (243.5 cm)Depth: 13.98 in (35.5 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. Every item Morentz offers is checked by our team of 30 craftsmen in our in-house workshop. Special restoration or reupholstery requests can be done. We guarantee a very high-quality standard, ask our design specialists for detailed information.
- Seller Location:Waalwijk, NL
- Reference Number:Seller: 450101031stDibs: LU933124437742
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.
Established in 2006, Morentz has a team of approximately 55 restorers, upholsterers, interior advisers and art historians, making it a gallery, workshop and upholstery studio, all in one. Every day, a carefully selected array of 20th-century furniture arrives from all over the world at the firm’s warehouse, where the team thoroughly examines each piece to determine what, if any, work needs to be done. Whether that means new upholstery or a complete restoration, Morentz's aim is always to honor the designer’s intention while fulfilling the wishes of the client. The team is up to any challenge, from restoring a single piece to its original glory to furnishing a large-scale hotel project.
- Poul Cadovius Wall Unit or Room DividerBy Poul CadoviusLocated in Waalwijk, NLPoul Cadovius, open bookshelf or room divider, metal, Denmark, 1960s This sizable and minimalist shelving unit was designed by Poul Cadovius. This shelving system exists of a thin f...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsMetal
- Lips Vago 'Triennal' Bookcases or Shelving SystemBy Lips VagoLocated in Waalwijk, NLLips Vago, 'Triennale' set of four shelving units or bookcases, dark green lacquered steel, Italy, design 1954 Constructed from steel sheets, the 'Triennale' bookcase or shelving un...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsSteel
$10,800 / set - Monumental Wall Unit or Room Divider In PineLocated in Waalwijk, NLStorage unit, wall unit, room divider, pine, Europe, circa 1970 Monumental and spacious room divider or wall unit crafted meticulously from pine wood. This elegant creation epitomiz...Category
Vintage 1970s European Post-Modern Bookcases
MaterialsPine
- Franco Albini for Poggi 'LB7' Wall Unit or Room Divider in TeakBy Franco Albini, PoggiLocated in Waalwijk, NLFranco Albini for Poggi, wall unit, model 'LB7', teak, metal, brass, Italy, 1957 A multi-functional design doubling both as wall unit and room divider, created by the Italian Franco...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Studio BBPR for Olivetti 'Spazio' Shelving System in MetalBy Studio BBPRLocated in Waalwijk, NLStudio BBPR for Olivetti, 'Spazio' shelving system, lacquered steel, plastic, Italy, design 1959/60, production 1960s In 1954, Olivetti, the Italian office equipment manufacturer, ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsSteel
- Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno White Wall UnitBy Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Waalwijk, NLOsvaldo Borsani for Tecno, wall-mounted wall unit, metal, white laminated wood, Italy, 1950s This wall mounted shelving system was designed by Osvaldo Borsani. Its purpose was a co...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsMetal
- Poul Cadovius Cado Royal System Wall Unit Shelving Bookcase 1960s 1970s in TeakBy Poul Cadovius, CadoLocated 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
$12,622 Sale Price30% Off - Poul Cadovius Abstracta Style Stacking Shelving UnitBy Poul CadoviusLocated in Los Angeles, CAIncredible, Mid-Century standing shelving unit or room divider. Reminiscent of Poul Cadovius' 'Abstracta' system. Ten rearrangeable and stackab...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsMetal
- Shelving System Wall Unit by Poul CadoviusBy Cado, Poul CadoviusLocated in Vienna, ATLarge wall unit, shelving system by Cado Denmark designed by Poul Cadovius in 1958. This shelving systems is made in really height quality hard wood. The system allows arranging mu...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsHardwood, Softwood
- 1960s Poul Cadovius Modular Teak 3-Bay Danish Royal System Wall Unit ShelvingBy Poul Cadovius, Royal SystemLocated 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
- 1960s Poul Cadovius Modular Teak 3-Bay Danish Royal System Wall Unit ShelvingBy Poul Cadovius, Royal SystemLocated in Sherborne, DorsetThis highly versatile and functional “Royal System” was originally designed by Poul Cadovius in 1948. This useful three-bay teak shelving system offers a wide variety of storage and ...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsMetal
- Rare Poul Cadovius Royal System Teak Double Sided Room Divider, DenmarkBy Poul Cadovius, Royal SystemLocated in Buffalo, NYRare Poul Cadovius Royal system teak, double sided room divider, made in Denmark. Custom ordered, unusual double sided wall unit, room divider, desi...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Shelves
MaterialsTeak, Walnut
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
You Don’t Need a Fictional Fairy to Get This Real Pinocchio Lamp
Warm chalet style meets cool Bauhaus functionality in Pietro Cascella’s cleverly carved creation.
Morentz Writes the Next Chapter for Furniture with a Storied Past
Dutch dealer Matthijs Hoveijn specializes in the best of mid-century modern design, selling it to discerning clients around the world.