Poul Cadovius

Cadovius trained as a saddler and upholsterer rather than as a designer and held around four hundred patents. He founded his own furniture company in 1945, and in 1948 patented Royal System: a wall-mounted rail carrying shelves, cabinets and desks, with nothing standing on the floor.

It was among the first systems of its kind and it took gold at the 1950 Finland furniture fair and silver at the Milan Triennale in 1957. He went on to the steel-tube Abstracta system in the 1960s, and between 1964 and 1967 bought the established manufacturer France and Son, renaming it Cado.

Teak Royal System units are common and the components are interchangeable, which is a real advantage, since a wall can be extended years later. Check the rails and the wall fixings before you look at the shelves.