Castenskiold – A Design Story Rooted in Details

It all started with the name… When we first designed Castenskiold in 2004, we looked back to its origins. The first owner even had a family Coat of Arms, which we carefully reimagined as the Castenskiold logo – now adorning the façade, wallpaper, porcelain, wine glasses, cutlery, and more.

In fact, most of what went into Castenskiold was designed specifically for Castenskiold – the bar, display cabinet, sofas, wall cushions, slats, tables, benches, and most of the lamps. (But no, not the big lounge chair – that one came a couple of years earlier.)

The building itself didn’t even exist when we started designing the space. Luckily, this gave us the freedom to shape it into a truly functional café and restaurant. One thing we didn’t change? The ceiling height – a striking five metres. Visually, it was stunning. Acoustically, it was a challenge. But we solved it so well that several recording studios began using the space as a “test room” for finalising new recordings.

“The details are not the details. They make the design.” Charles Eames said it best. Without comparison – he and Ray were masters – but Castenskiold is all about details, carefully arranged. And that’s what makes it Castenskiold.