Scandinavian Teak Wall Unit in the style of Cadovius, 1960s

Danish designer and manufacturer Poul Cadovius was born in Frederiksberg in 1911. Originally 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. Shortly after, 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 (1948) shelving unit  went on to win the gold medal at the Finland Furniture Fair in 1950 and silver medal at the XI Triennale di Milano 1957 and remained a hallmark of midcentury modern design throughout the 1950s and ‘60s.

Sometime between 1964 and 1967, Cadovius purchased the well-established furniture manufacturer France & Søn—credited with the industrialization of teak furniture production—and eventually 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. Pieces manufactured by CADO include Ditte & Adrian Heath’s 594 Dining Table and Chairs (1971), Steen Ostergaard’s Lounge Chair and Model 290 Chairs (1968), Ole Wanscher’s Senator Chair series (1960s), as well as a series of coffee tables in the 1960s by Cadovius that feature the use of aluminum, rosewood, and hand-painted designs by Susan Fjedldoe Mygge.

His minimalistic aesthetic is considered a perfect harmony between form and function—industrial and organic, affordable and elegant. Although the Royal System shelving unit was his main contribution to Danish modernism, Cadovius registered more than 400 patents throughout his long career, leaving behind a legacy that inspired many future designers.

Cadovius passed away in 2011 at the age of 99. 

Danish designer Kai Kristiansen was born in 1929. Like many of Denmark's design greats, he apprenticed in cabinetmaking before enrolling—around 1948—in the prestigious Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen under the highly influential designer Kaare Klint. At the age of 26, Kristiansen opened his own studio and began to create furniture in what would soon became known as the Danish modern style. His designs would be produced by well-known Danish manufacturers, such as Feldballes Møbelfabrik, Fornem Møbelkunst, Fritz Hansen, and Magnus Olesen.

In true Danish modern fashion, Kristiansen favored well-joined teak and rosewood, evident equally in his chairs, desks, sideboards, and wall units. In 1956, he designed his most celebrated work, the No. 42 Chair for Schou Andersen. The organically curved back and pivoted armrests form a chair that is as beautiful as it is comfortable. The No. 42 was well-received by critics and enjoyed continued success as one of the most enduring Danish designs of the 20th century.

Kristiansen's collaboration with Magnus Olesen brought about the sleek and sculptured No. 121 Lounge Chair. His modular FM Reolsystem Wall Unit (1957) for Feldballe Møbelfabrik met with success, not only in Scandinavia, but also throughout the rest of Europe and overseas in the United States.

Because they were so difficult to manufacture, many of Kristiansen’s designs eventually went out of production. In 2014, Kristiansen collaborated with Miyazaki Chair Company in Japan to reimagine some of his classics designs, which resulted in the Handy Chair, 4110 Chair, and Paper Knife seating collection. Today, his vintage designs are highly collectible, and he is recognized as one of the most talented Scandinavian designers of the 20th century.