Kitchen of the Week: A Culinary Space in Copenhagen by Garde Hvalsøe

We’ve featured the work of Copenhagen-based Garde Hvalsøe before (they’re the fabricators behind Noma star chef René Redzepi’s kitchen and the impeccable Dinesen kitchen), so you may be familiar with their work. Our current obsession? Founder Søren Garde’s own kitchen, newly installed in his turn-of-the-century Copenhagen apartment. For his own culinary workspace, Garde devised a compact, black-and-oak version, made with Dinesen’s centuries-old HeartOak wood. Join us for a tour.

Photography courtesy of Garde Hvalsøe.

Above: In Garde Hvalsøe’s Dinesen line, both the cabinet bodies and drawers are solid wood. This kitchen is made of Dinesen’s HeartOak, or oak heartwood—it’s the wood at the core of the tree, and generally the hardest. But it’s used here for its “soulful” look, “where the grain, nuts, and cracks make the wood look alive,” said Lundh Aagaard. (Read more in New HeartOak Floors from Dinesen.)

Above: The cabinets and island base are clad in black linoleum, and the countertops are stainless steel. The pendant lights are Caravaggio by Danish designer Cecilie Manz.

Above: The kitchen faucet is by Dutch brand Quooker; it streams cold, hot, and boiling water from the same tap.

Garde Hvalsøe kitchens are made entirely in Denmark. “We draw on the Danish cabinetmaking tradition and craftsmanship,” said Lundh Aagaard. Admittedly, it’s reflected in the price tag: “With the general high wage level in Denmark, this makes our acquaintance a pricey one; but we believe the product speaks for itself.”

Above: The finger joints visible on the drawer fronts are machine cut by a woodworker. At right, two Gaggenau wall ovens are inset into the cabinetry. 

Above: The back wall between the cabinets is painted black, making “a backsplash-like function that is easy to clean.” Above it is a warm-hued, dimmable LED light strip.

Above: Lundh Aagaard’s philosophy on maintaining stainless steel countertops: “The more scratches, the better,” he says. He tells clients that it takes a few years for stainless countertops to take on the right amount of wear. “It gets a silky surface when it is completely scratched,” he said.

Above: The dining table by Swedish designer Bruno Mathsson is surrounded by Hans Wegner Wishbone chairs.

For more on Dinesen, a Remodelista favorite, see:

• New HeartOak Floors from Dinesen
• World’s Most Beautiful Wood Floors
• Steal This Look: A London Bathroom Clad in Dinesen Wood