The desk and separate three-drawer cabinet were designed by Kaare Klint and made by the cabinetmaker Rud. Rasmussen. Together with a bookcase and the sectional sofa they were shown at the Cabinetmakers' Exhibition in Copenhagen in 1933.

The pieces are in mahogany with ebony as a contrast for the base of the cabinet and for the foot of the legs of the desk. The distinct feature of the desk is the legs with an L-shape cross section … a form used by Klint in several designs and a feature of the construction used by Klint in his designs for the display cabinets for the Design Museum itself. This makes the uprights lighter but stronger than a single piece of squared timber particularly for pieces of any length.

This is early functional design at its best: the top drawer of the cabinet was fitted with a typewriter that swung out on a mechanism that brought it up to the level of the desk top; the middle drawer was designed for pens and inks and the lowest drawer was for files and papers held vertically - so a filing cabinet. Because the separate cabinet could be placed on either side of the desk, this design was more flexible than a traditional pedestal desk with fixed drawers on one side or the other or on both sides for a larger desk.

The desk and cabinet were never produced commercially so are unique.

designed by Kaare Klint (1888-1954)
made by the cabinetmaker Rud. Rasmussen
exhibited at the Cabinetmakers' Autumn Exhibition in 1933

mahogany and ebony

desk
height: 75cm
width: 97cm
depth: 68.5cm

3-drawer cabinet
height:75cm
width: 48cm
depth: 68.5cm