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Dinesen Lands in Brooklyn With a Wood-Centric Living Showroom

ByMyProperty Life

New York has no shortage of pop-ups, but the newest arrival in Brooklyn swaps limited-edition merch for something far more lasting: a celebration of Danish wood. Dinesen – the revered craftspeople behind some of the world’s most stunning plank flooring – has opened a temporary home-away-from-home on Vanderbilt Avenue, and it goes beyond showroom to be a full-on sensory retreat. Designed by Danish architect David Thulstrup, the Dinesen Apartment feels like stepping inside a quiet, cozy haven that displays how good materials can transform a space.

Minimalist room with a wooden table and chairs, and a large wooden bookshelf containing a few small items and books against a light wall.

Spread across two floors of a sculptural SO—IL–designed building, the apartment doesn’t simply display Dinesen’s signature oak. Thulstrup uses the material almost like an anchor point – a grounding element that organizes everything around it. Floors flow seamlessly into wall cladding. A staircase climbs in Layers Oak. Even the headboard gets in on the action. The effect is less “showroom installation” and more “someone with impeccable taste moved in and left the door open.”

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A white ceramic teapot, sugar bowl, and teacup with blue floral patterns are arranged on a wooden table with a beige background.

The apartment’s main component is Dinesen’s Layers Oak in the Classic variant, a serene backdrop that’s engineered for elegance. Where Thulstrup wants a little more depth and texture, he enlists Layers HeartOak – complete with natural cracks stitched together with delicate butterfly joints – a reminder that the wood from a tree was once living and grew in its own unique way, with “imperfections” and all.

Minimalist dining room with wooden table and chairs, built-in wooden shelves, and large window allowing natural light. Concrete ceiling and light wood flooring.

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“Everything I design is about crafting a sense of place,” says Thulstrup. “The apartment is not just about showcasing materials – it’s about evoking emotion through scale, light and texture. Dinesen’s wood, grown over decades, carries a quiet power. This project allows visitors to feel that in a completely immersive way.”

Minimalist living space with large window, light wood furniture, built-in shelves, and a view of a small terrace garden outside.

The furniture is arranged in curated groupings, including Thulstrup’s own Arv Collection for Brdr. Kruger and John Pawson’s collection for Dinesen, with upholstery in Sahco’s Levino fabric. Nothing feels too precious or staged. Instead, it feels lived in, even if it’s only temporarily. To finish off the spaces, Thulstrup brings in Danish vintage pieces by Arne Jacobsen and Severin Hansen for Dagmar, and this collaborative project becomes an apartment-like showroom, layering decades of Scandinavian craft into one cohesive design. “I like to layer different timelines and characters – contemporary, classic, and crafted,” says Thulstrup. “The overall mood is quiet and grounded. I wanted the atmosphere to slow down time.”

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Stack of white paper placed on the middle shelf of a wooden bookcase in a room with light-colored wood flooring.

Thulstrup’s intent of creating a “quiet and grounded” space is on display everywhere – from the way the light hits the wood surfaces to the earthy palette of paint colors from Bléo, like Sand and Suede, and the textured softness of the rugs, drapery, upholstery, and bedding.

Minimalist living room with light wood furniture, a gray rug, and large floor-to-ceiling window overlooking a garden with trees and shrubs.

A minimalist living room with a light gray sofa, low wooden coffee table, small vase with yellow flowers, and large floor-to-ceiling windows.

“We hold deep respect for materials, traditions, and craftsmanship from the golden era of Scandinavian design,” says Dagmar. “We proudly share these values with Dinesen and David Thulstrup and contribute to this collaboration with reissued furniture by Danish icon Severin Hansen.”

A close-up of a modern wooden sofa with light beige cushions, set on a textured rug and wooden floor.

Minimalist living room with wood furniture, floor-to-ceiling windows, neutral tones, and a view of a garden outside. Natural light fills the space.

A light wood coffee table with a yellow book, a glass vase with yellow flowers, and a metal tray, set on a gray rug in a modern living room.

A minimalist living room viewed from above, featuring two chairs, a sofa, a wooden coffee table with a book and flowers, all set on a light gray rug over wooden flooring.

The flooring and joinery – from the sweeping half-turn staircase to built-in bookcases and surprisingly elegant doors – were executed by Ocular, a Danish carpentry duo. Textiles from Kvadrat, Sahco, and Magniberg layer the space in tactility, while small objects, like Thulstrup’s sculptural Penumbra piece for Georg Jensen and hardware from FSB, punctuate the home with elevated details.

Minimalist interior with wood paneling, built-in shelves holding a few small objects, a closed door, and stairs partially visible in the background.

Minimalist wooden staircase next to a closed wooden door, with natural light and soft shadows cast on the walls and floor.

A white vase with white flowers sits on a wooden bench in a minimalist hallway with dark brown and light wood walls and flooring. A wooden chair is visible in the next room.

Minimalist wooden staircase with light brown wood paneling on walls and banister, and soft lighting highlighting the clean, modern design.

Outside its showroom purpose, the Dinesen apartment is a working residence, event space, and meeting hub. Guests are encouraged to wander, sit, and experience the space as if they lived there. As Thulstrup puts it, this is a place to be sensed, not just photographed – a refreshing stance in a city where many things seem designed for a social media feed.

Close-up of a wooden surface with a visible dovetail joint and natural wood grain, showing precise craftsmanship and a smooth angled edge.

A minimalist workspace with a metal-framed desk, brown chair, and a ball and book on the desk, set against wooden and concrete walls beside a metal railing.

A minimalist workspace with a round table, gray chair, open book, potted plant, and black carafe on light wood flooring next to a pale green railing.

The Brooklyn apartment marks Dinesen’s first built-out environment in the United States, following their earlier Copenhagen installation with John Pawson. And rather than repeat themselves, they’ve created a new chapter – one rooted in American context but unmistakably Danish in soul.

Minimalist room with mustard yellow walls, a concrete accent, wooden bench with cushions, small wooden table, single yellow flower in a vase, and a window with outside view.

A modern bedroom features a wooden bed with white bedding, a beige blanket, a wooden nightstand with a lamp, and a dark brown accent wall beside a concrete pillar.

The David Thulstrup-designed Dinesen Apartment is open by appointment through February 2026. For more information, please visit dinesen.com.

Photography by Eric Petschek.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.

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