Sip whisky like a Bond villain with Runewood’s beautiful high-security liquor cabinet

There’s something seductive about a liquor cabinet. It signifies forbidden fruit, opulence and old-school charm.

Encounters with furnishings that evoke those feelings are rare. It’s even more unusual, then, to find a modern design that marries decadence with innovation, while retaining that elusive magic.

But the Elixir Vault Series by Danish design studio Runewood does just that.

‘Can I pour you a drink?’

Runewood’s collection of bespoke, wall-mounted whisky cabinets is crafted with classic Scandinavian design sensibilities: high-quality oak, hand-stitched leather and smoked glass, and finished in elegant tones of Rune Red, Barrel Black or Organic Oak.

A casual observer might notice the Vault cabinet’s aura of mystique: the graceful, assertive form, interrupted by a darkened panel of glass. Certainly, they’ll wonder at its contents – their curiosity stoked by the sophisticated woodgrain, lack of keyhole, and twin fingertip-sized buttons inlaid on the lower right side.

But only the owner of the Vault cabinet can know what’s inside. The latest design, named Baldur after the old-Norse god of light, is smart-secured with a six-digit code and automatic door, operated via Bluetooth.

Inside is space for 12 fine bottles, two decanters and six glasses, illuminated by app-controlled lighting. Maps of the UK, Ireland and Denmark are engraved in the wood panelling, with a small Viking longship carved between them in billet aluminium.

It’s no stretch to say that this is the Tracy Island of drinks cabinets; the white Persian cat and ‘I’ve been expecting you, Mr. Bond’ of hospitality. It’s traditional ceremony meets high-security technology.

A hand-crafted conversation piece

Runewood was born in the small town of Hemmet, on the Atlantic coast of Denmark – home to the reconstructed Bork Viking Harbour.

Driven by founders Nicholas John Noble and Josh Adams’ backgrounds in green engineering, the brand’s every cabinet is hand-made by local craftsmen on-site or, for US buyers, at the new American outpost on the coast of Connecticut.

“We created the Vault cabinet to bring people together. It’s a conversation piece – sophisticated, secure, and locally, sustainably built,” says Noble.

The Baldur design is even on display at renowned Danish whisky distillery Stauning, where it houses some of the label’s finer liquors. “But it’s perfect for apartments, cabins and compact houses,” Noble explains.

At the heart of Runewood’s design principle is the Scandinavian touch: minimalism, innovation and community… That, and savouring a rich 30-year-old single malt.

Web: www.runewood.dk
Instagram: @runewooddenmark