Showroom Garde Hvalsøe

David Thulstrup has designed an atmospheric showroom and office for Garde Hvalsøe in Copenhagen, its second project for the acclaimed Danish cabinetmaker. In keeping with a brief to make a space with a residential feel that combines intimacy and scale, Studio David Thulstrup designed a series of ‘homes within the home’ for the 420 square meter open plan space.

The former car assembly garage is dominated by existing concrete columns, which were used to set the axis for the respective ‘homes’ and other zones. To showcase Garde Hvalsøe’s craftsmanship and bespoke possibilities the showroom features five kitchen designs, walk-in closets and a wine room. The entrance is defined by a monolithic pavilion-like architectural structure in dark smoked oak that creates a transition between the outside and the calm space within.

“I was inspired by the works of minimalist sculptors such as Carl Andre and Donald Judd on how to divide the open space and create a calm and minimalist backdrop that highlights the rich Garde Hvalsøe story, products and craft,” says David Thulstrup, founder and creative director of Studio David Thulstrup. He also wanted a sense of continuity or red thread between this project and the first showroom designed for Garde Hvalsøe and Dinesen in Aarhus.

“I looked to the gestures and shape language we used in the first project,
particularly the new, monolithically designed insertions.” The 45 x 45 cm square flooring in dark stained oak in the dramatic entrance in Copenhagen echoes that used in Aarhus, and also informs the grid for the pavilion structure.

Besides the entrance, Thulstrup designed floor-to-ceiling shelves that act as spatial dividers. Floors in the showroom are lightly oiled oak planks from Dinesen. “Having worked with David Thulstrup previously, we knew he would take us in the right direction and create a showroom that underlines the ethos of Garde Hvalsøe,” says founder and co-owner Søren Lundh Aagaard.

Custom furniture includes a 12-seater table of Dinesen ash planks stained light blue, metal and stone tables. Above the table are three custom-designed and digitally fabricated lamps in aluminum. Combined with vintage finds and furniture designed by Studio David Thulstrup, they create an atmospheric yet intimate feel.

To maximize light and minimize visual noise, new off-white wall panels interchanging a textural surface and semi-transparent blinds were made for the eastern and western boundary walls. Furnishings provide splashes of color against the neutral backdrop and timber finishes.

Studio David Thulstrup
Architect: David Thulstrup

Client: Garde Hvalsøe