Garde Hvalsøe Handcrafted Oak Storage: From Koshi-do Cabinets to Bunk Beds and Desks
Danish furniture maker Garde Hvalsøe has presented a collection of bespoke storage solutions, with the Koshi-do cabinet series taking centre stage.
Developed in collaboration with Copenhagen-based OEO Studio, the Koshi-do fronts are defined by vertical wooden slats that produce a subtle rhythm of light and shadow.
The design draws on Japanese principles of balance and spatial simplicity, interpreted through a Nordic lens and realised in natural materials with refined architectural detailing.
The Koshi-do fronts appear across several pieces in the collection. In the Pilaster bathroom cabinet, crafted in smoked oak, the vertical slat construction is paired with a horizontal tray section and completed by a bespoke marble basin. The piece is handcrafted in Denmark and designed for both functional use and considered material expression.
Elsewhere in the collection, bespoke bunk beds are crafted from lightly knotted oak with a white oil finish. The lower section incorporates a three-drawer storage unit, with a veneered oak front grid that doubles as a ladder. Built-in seating and cabinetry in Garde Hvalsøe’s Solid model — constructed from extra-long oak planks with finger-jointed drawer fronts — are configured for living room use. A bespoke desk from the same Solid series features chamfered drawer sides that allow drawers to sit flush against one another, maintaining a consistent plank-like visual.
The collection also includes a bespoke alcove and bookshelf in lightly knotted oak with white oil, designed as a flexible display and storage unit suitable for both living spaces and bedrooms.
Garde Hvalsøe was founded in 1990 and produced its first kitchen in 1992. The brand works exclusively with bespoke interior solutions, with craftsmanship and material quality as the defining constants.
Garde Hvalsøe’s Pilaster is a bathroom piece crafted in smoked oak with the distinctive Koshi-do fronts developed in collaboration with OEO Studio. Defined by vertical wooden slats and a horizontal tray section, the Pilaster expertly balances structure and storage. A bespoke marble basin completes the expression, bringing function and form into alignment. Rooted in craftsmanship and material integrity, the piece reflects Garde Hvalsøe’s ongoing exploration of architectural furniture for everyday rituals. Handcrafted in Denmark, it offers a calm and grounded presence in the most intimate of spaces.
The bespoke Garde Hvalsøe desk is crafted from the Solid model in oak with an oil finish. The Solid model’s chamfered drawer sides make it possible to place the drawers in close extension of each other, providing an unbroken aesthetic impression of a single plank. The additional drawers on the side of the table add aesthetic interest, whilst acting as a functional way to stay organised and tidy.
The bespoke seating and cabinetry in this bespoke project are crafted from Garde Hvalsøe’s Solid model in oak with an oil finish. The Solid model is a modern classic made of extra-long wooden planks, serving as a celebration of nature’s own creation. The long, wide planks continue across the finger-jointed drawer fronts, highlighting the beautiful grain. This truly bespoke solution provides an appealing seating nook combined with additional storage, which seamlessly blends into a living room area.
These bespoke bunk beds are made from light, knotted oak and treated with white oil. The design includes a top bunk frame that is veneered on the underside. The lower section consists of a clever storage drawer unit with three drawers. The front grid, made from veneered oak, has been usefully designed to double as a ladder for children.
About Garde Hvalsøe
There is a certain rhythm to a Garde Hvalsøe design. A fundamental recognisability, an uncompromising pursuit of excellence, a reflection of a passion for cabinetmaking and craftsmanship.
Ever since the company was founded in 1990, the core of Garde Hvalsøe has been dedicated to the craft of bespoke interior solutions. The classic virtues from the Danish crafts and design tradition are in its blood, and the brand approaches its work exactly as it did in 1992 when the first Garde Hvalsøe kitchen was created as a study of quality, simplification and the art of furniture-making.
Garde Hvalsøe lives and breathes uncompromising quality and sublime craftsmanship. The brand is just as ambitious in its endeavour to fuse functionality with beauty as it is generous in sharing skills and experience. The brand aims to make an extraordinary experience for customers to explore their dreams and details and see their dreams turned into exclusive reality in Denmark and worldwide.
For Garde Hvalsøe, it is essential to stay true to the rhythm that is its signature. Therein lies the key to creating the world of tomorrow, which – in its understanding of life and craft – has to be built of quality materials in honest, thoughtful designs with a timeless beauty to be appreciated by generations to come.