Mosquito dining table by Poul Cadovius for Cado

History Poul Cadovius and CADO The designer and manufacturer Poul Cadovius was born in Frederiksberg, Denmark, in 1911. Trained as an upholsterer, he soon became interested in industrial design and in 1945 founded his own furniture manufacturing company, Royal System. In 1948, Cadovius had the revolutionary idea of designing a system of floating and modular shelves that maximized space. The Royal System shelving won the gold medal at the Finland Furniture Fair in 1950 and the silver medal at the XI Milan Triennale in 1957, and it remained a hallmark of modern design in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1964 he acquired France & Søn, known for the production of teak furniture, which he renamed CADO. Cadovius collaborated with an impressive list of iconic Danish designers such as: Sigvar Bernadotte, Grete Jalk, Arne Vodder, Edvard Kindt-Larsen, and Finn Juhl. Among the pieces manufactured by CADO is a series of coffee tables from the 1960s that feature the use of aluminum, rosewood, and designs hand-painted by Susan Fjedldoe Mygge. Its minimalist aesthetic is considered a perfect harmony between form and function: industrial and organic, affordable and elegant. While the Royal System shelving was his main contribution to Danish modernism, Cadovius registered more than 400 patents throughout his long career, leaving a legacy that inspired many future designers, until it closed at the end of 1970. France & Søn, initially France & Daverkosen, was founded in Denmark in 1936 by the British entrepreneur Charles W. France and the Danish cabinetmaker Eric Daverkosen. Eric passed away a year later, in 1937, but France continued managing the factory together with his widow. Initially a mattress manufacturer, by 1952 it had already built a large furniture factory in Hillerød, on the outskirts of Copenhagen, becoming one of the most successful Danish companies, dedicated to mass production. In 1,957, when James France, son of France, joined the company, the name was changed to France & Søn. Many models produced by France & Daverkosen were called FD followed by the model number, and France & Søn continued producing those designs with their original names, presenting new collections every year. That is why these companies are among the most sought-after brands in the current vintage market. Numerous pieces that are still in circulation retain their original labels.