A Vision Rooted in Context

Danish award-winning architect David Thulstrup has designed the Dinesen Apartment in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. This immersive space is at once a home, a showroom, and a gathering place. The building, designed by the New York-based studio SO–IL, offered a refined architectural framework that Thulstrup has enriched with Dinesen wood, carefully curated furniture, and a restrained palette that honours both materiality and atmosphere.

For Thulstrup, the design vision was guided by context: “I work a lot with respecting the architecture, implementing the right materials and enhancing one’s sense of place.” In the apartment, that meant engaging with SO–IL’s thoughtful planning while layering in Dinesen’s tactile wooden solutions. His approach was less about imposing and more about amplifying—letting the materials speak.

“Dinesen wood has a poetic weight,” he notes, “grown over decades and full of life. For me, it’s always been about heritage and leaving a mark. The apartment is a chance to let that wood visually and physically guide the experience.”

The result is a space that feels timeless—an environment designed to grow richer with age.

Layered With Oak

Central to the project is the integration of Dinesen Layers Oak in the Classic variant. Its refined stability enables gap-free expanses of flooring, creating a calm and elegant foundation. Floors, staircases, and wall cladding flow seamlessly, enveloping visitors in a harmonious wooden shell.

For contrast, Dinesen HeartOak has been introduced in selected elements, its expressive cracks held by butterfly joints, adding a narrative of imperfection and repair. This interplay of serene continuity and raw detail sets the tone of the apartment: natural, tactile, and deeply grounded.

Dinesen wood solutions extend throughout—flooring, wall and door cladding, a bookcase, and even a headboard—ensuring every encounter with the space is a dialogue with Oak.

Furniture: Heritage and Continuity

Furniture plays an equally crucial role. Thulstrup has blended his own pieces with John Pawson’s collection for Dinesen and a selection of Danish vintage classics.

Pawson’s work, upholstered anew in Levino by Sahco, offers understated richness. The textile’s quiet depth complements the Douglas’ smoothness and elegance, making the furniture feel seamlessly at home. “John Pawson is one of my design icons,” Thulstrup reflects, “and his way of working with material, light, and proportion has always been a reference.”

Alongside Pawson’s pieces, Thulstrup introduced his Arv chair collection, designed initially for noma and produced by Brdr. Krüger, including a new lounge version. The heritage of five generations of craftsmanship resonates powerfully with Dinesen’s legacy.

Vintage finds by Severin Hansen and Arne Jacobsen add historical texture, layering different timelines into a coherent whole. The furniture curation tells a story of continuity, craft, and timeless restraint.

A Subtle Palette with Bleo

Colour was developed in collaboration with Bleo, whose refined pigments enhance atmosphere without overwhelming it. Three shades—Titian, Sand and Suede—were chosen for their soft, grounding qualities. They complement the warmth of the oak while shaping light and shadow throughout the apartment.

“The goal was never to make the colours dominate,” Thulstrup explains, “but to let them enhance the feeling of the space and the materiality in furniture and architecture.”

An Immersive Brand Experience

Beyond its design language, the apartment is conceived as a multifunctional environment. It is a home, a meeting hub, and a living showroom—a space where visitors can experience Dinesen wood not only visually but physically and emotionally.

Durability and tactility were essential. Surfaces and furnishings are intended to be used, lived with, and patinated. This reinforces the immersive aspect of the project, positioning it as more than a showroom—it is a lived experience.

Thulstrup sees this approach as increasingly vital: “Immersive spaces emphasise that architecture and design should be sensed, not just seen in photography. They allow for a meaningful connection, where the whole body and senses engage.”

Timelessness in Brooklyn

In the Dinesen Apartment, David Thulstrup has crafted a serene refuge in the bustle of Brooklyn—a space where material honesty, heritage, and refined design converge. The layering of Oak, the simple power of Douglas carried by Pawson’s furniture, the tactile depth of Kvadrat upholstery, and the subtlety of colour come together in a holistic vision.

More than an apartment, it is a living expression of Dinesen’s philosophy, an environment that invites you to slow down, engage your senses, and connect with the poetry of wood.