Kitchen of the Week: The Dinesen Wood Kitchen

Makers of some of the world’s most beautiful wood flooring, Dinesen, the three-generations-old Danish company, is now applying its planks to kitchens. These designs are the work of Garde Hvalsí¸e, three cabinetmakers and an architect who have come up with a Dinesen kitchen series–Noma chef Rene Redzepi has one in his own home. Our favorite is the compact kitchen in Dinesen’s new showroom in Copenhagen designed by Danish studio OeO. Not coincidentally, it’s in the deep mossy green we predict is about to have its moment–see Interior Trends for Autumn.

Above: The galley design, conceptualized overall by OeO and created by Garde Hvalsí¸e, is in Dinesen’s vast new headquarters at 5 Sí¸tovet in Copenhagen. The kitchen is used for Dinesen events and private dinners. “The challenge in this small, not very wide space was to create a fully functional kitchen for two professional chefs,” says Sí¸ren Aagaard of Garde Hvalsí¸e.

The paneling and cabinets are constructed of oak floorboards that Dinesen calls heart oak; milled from the middle of large trees, they produce exceptionally wide boards. Photograph via Dinesen.

Above: The counters are made of green marble and the sink and area around it are hand-welded brass treated with a dark stain. The drawer section closest to the window contains an industrial made-to-measure drawer refrigerator.

In the wall paneling, note the butterfly joints, a Dinesen signature used to patch natural cracks. The boards used for the cabinets and paneling are treated with Dinesen’s Natural Oil. The floorboards, which are also heart oak, are treated with Dinesen’s White Oil. The company sources most of its wood from Germany and explains the sustainable forestry practices of its suppliers here. Photograph via Hviit.

Above: The sink backsplash is darkened brass patinated by the lime in the water. The brass faucet is a commercial model by Danish brand Toni. “They’re for use in industry and hospitals, but found in many homes in Denmark,” Aagaard told us. “We took it apart and stained it.” Photograph via Hviit.

Above: The range is from Electrolux’s Grand Cuisine line. “A lot of appliances are labeled professional quality,” says Aagaard, “in this case, it’s actually true, but adapted with a more sexy interface and exterior.” Photograph via Garde Hvalsí¸e.

Above: The long work counter is fitted with finger-jointed storage and has an Electrolux Grand Cuisine Induction Cooktop and Vacuum Sealer–for sous vide cooking and packaging food to freeze. A Fisher-Paykel Drawer Dishwasher is also concealed behind two of the drawers. The base and legs are made of raw steel and the open shelf is stained brass, fitted over the cooktop with an exhaust shelf in stained brass, a made-to-measure Garde Hvalsí¸e design. Photograph via Dinesen.

Above: A closeup of the welded brass shelf. Dinesen uses leftover wood to make stacks of chargers in various sizes. The walls are painted in Vineyard 61, a matte green from Flügger of Denmark. Photograph via Garde Hvalsí¸e.

Above: OeO says that the palette throughout the showroom was inspired by the work of turn-of-the-20th-century Danish painter Vilhelm Hammershoi. The ceiling lights are the mega version of Artemide’s Tolomeo design; there’s also custom LED shelf and back-of-the-counter lighting. The trash bin is a Vipp, made in Denmark. See more at Dinesen. 

Go to London couturier Anna Valentine’s kitchen to tour another design modeled after Vilhelm Hammershoi’s paintings. 

For more small-kitchen inspiration, take a look at 10 Favorites: The Urban Galley Kitchen.