In late 2025, Dinesen, the esteemed Danish maker of bespoke wood flooring and bespoke architectural timber, expanded its presence in the United States with the opening of a remarkable pop-up showroom in Brooklyn, New York. Located at 144 Vanderbilt Avenue and designed in collaboration with Copenhagen-based architect David Thulstrup, the Dinesen Apartment reimagines the traditional showroom as an immersive, lived-in space—where material, architecture, and atmosphere converge in a quiet, tactile expression of craftsmanship. 

At the heart of the Dinesen Apartment experience is the distinct hand of Danish architect and designer David Thulstrup, whose work has quietly shaped some of the most thoughtful contemporary spaces in Europe and beyond. Thulstrup founded Studio David Thulstrup in Copenhagen in 2009 after formative years working with Jean Nouvel in Paris and Peter Marino in New York—two titans of global design whose influences helped sharpen his eye for material, scale, and craftsmanship. Known for a design philosophy he describes as “modern simplicity,” Thulstrup blends his Scandinavian heritage with a deep curiosity for context and human experience, crafting spaces that feel intimately familiar yet formally precise. 

His portfolio spans residential architecture, hospitality, retail, and bespoke furniture, but he is perhaps best known internationally for his award-winning interior of the reimagined Noma 2.0 in Copenhagen—where he transformed Bjarke Ingels’ architectural framework into a series of warm, layered environments that dissolve the boundary between restaurant and home. Throughout his work, Thulstrup’s commitment to material honesty and spatial clarity creates places that are simultaneously calm and evocative, where light, texture, and proportion are orchestrated with quiet rigor to elevate craft to an emotional experience. 

Positioned across two floors of a sculpturally conceived building by local architects SO—IL and developed by Tankhouse, the space functions simultaneously as a residence, event venue, and meeting hub—inviting visitors to experience Dinesen’s wood not only visually, but physically and emotionally. 

Rather than display products in isolation, the Dinesen Apartment envelops them within a coherent spatial narrative. Thulstrup’s design uses Dinesen Layers Oak Classic as the foundational material, creating expansive, continuous surfaces that extend from floors into walls, staircases, and custom joinery. Select areas feature Layers HeartOak, its natural fissures held with oak butterfly joints—a deliberate opposition of serenity and rugged authenticity that underscores the material’s life and history. 

This nuanced treatment of wood exemplifies Dinesen’s longstanding philosophy: wood is not merely a finish, but a defining element of spatial experience. The oak surfaces shape light, shadow, and movement throughout the apartment, reinforcing a sense of calm that contrasts with the dynamic energy of Brooklyn outside. 

Complementing the timber foundation is a curated collection of furniture and design pieces that bridge legacy and contemporary craft. Thulstrup blends his own Arv Collection for Brdr. Krüger with iconic pieces by John Pawson—longtime collaborators with Dinesen—and Danish vintage classics from designers like Arne Jacobsen and Severin Hansen. Upholstery by Sahco in soft, natural pigments enhances the tactile richness of the interiors. 

The result feels less like a staged display and more like a home thoughtfully lived in—an intentional departure from the often clinical presentation of materials in traditional showrooms. In this environment, visitors are encouraged to walk barefoot on oak floors, gather around handcrafted furniture, and fully engage with the sensory qualities of wood and space. 

Thulstrup’s design approach reflects his broader architectural ethos: crafting places with meaning, rooted in context and material honesty. “Everything I design is about crafting a sense of place,” he said of the project. “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 Brooklyn installation marks Dinesen’s first built-out environment in the U.S. and follows the brand’s celebrated Dinesen Apartment by John Pawson in Copenhagen. Open by appointment through February 2026, the space stands as a unique portal into the world of bespoke timber—an invitation to clients and creators alike to slow down, feel the grain, and appreciate the poetry inherent in wood.

Images courtesy of Dinesen (https://www.dinesen.com). Photographer is Eric Petschek (https://ericpetschek.com).