Stelling
Stelling is a Copenhagen-based Danish retailer of office, art and paint-related supplies with roots dating to 1860.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Stelling is a Danish retail business associated with office supplies, art materials and paint-related products. Its documented history begins in 1860, when H. Schönwandt opened a modest paint shop at Gammeltorv 6 in central Copenhagen. The business later took the Stelling name after it was acquired by Anton Stelling, whose family developed it from a local shop into a larger enterprise with both retail and manufacturing activities. The company expanded its industrial footprint around the turn of the twentieth century. In 1900, it acquired F. E. van der Aa Kühle's Lacquer Factory in Valby, creating a base for the production of paint, lacquer and varnish. During the early 1910s, Stelling established and expanded a factory at Valgårdsvej 2. The factory was enlarged between 1912 and 1914, with architect Christian Mandrup-Poulsen involved in the expansion. This manufacturing operation remained an important part of the company's historical identity until it closed in the 1980s. Most of the factory buildings were subsequently demolished, and the site is now associated with Toftegårds Plads. Stelling also retains a strong architectural connection to Copenhagen. Its original premises at Gammeltorv 6 were replaced in 1937 by a building designed by Arne Jacobsen. Known as the Stelling House, or Stellings Hus, the building is a notable example of Danish modernist architecture. It was entered into Denmark's registry of protected buildings and places in 1991. The property gives the company an unusually prominent architectural landmark compared with most specialist retailers. Family leadership shaped the business for several generations. Anton Stelling's sons Walter and Erwin became partners in 1900. Walter succeeded his father in 1912 and served as the company's chief representative or operating leader. Walter's son Olaf joined as a partner in 1933 and later continued the business with his mother, Signe Stelling, after Walter's death. The surviving historical record therefore presents Stelling as a family-developed company whose activities moved between specialist retail, materials distribution and manufacturing. Today, Stelling is identified primarily as a Danish retailer serving office and art-material needs. The available reference material does not establish a precise current ownership structure, financial profile, store count, or detailed product-brand portfolio. It does, however, place the business within Copenhagen's long-established specialist retail sector and links its heritage to paints, lacquers, varnishes, office supplies and art supplies. Its historical importance rests not only on commercial continuity since the nineteenth century, but also on the preservation of the Stelling House and the company's role in Copenhagen's architectural and industrial history.
History
Stelling's recorded history starts in Copenhagen in 1860, when H. Schönwandt opened a paint shop at Gammeltorv 6. The business was subsequently acquired by Anton Stelling, after whom the company became known. Anton's sons, Walter and Erwin Stelling, entered the business as partners in 1900. That same year, the company acquired F. E. van der Aa Kühle's Lacquer Factory in Valby, marking a transition from a small retail operation toward a business with industrial production capabilities. The Valby operation was developed further in the early twentieth century. Stelling established a factory at Valgårdsvej 2, and the premises were expanded during 1912–1914. Christian Mandrup-Poulsen was the architect associated with this expansion. The factory produced or was connected with paint, lacquer and varnish manufacturing. Its operation continued for decades before closing in the 1980s. Most of the buildings were later removed, and Toftegårds Plads now occupies the site. Leadership remained closely connected to the Stelling family. Walter Stelling succeeded Anton in 1912 as the company's chief representative. Walter's son Olaf became a partner in 1933. Following Walter's death, Olaf continued the business in partnership with his mother, Signe Stelling. The available historical account does not provide a complete chronology of later ownership or management, but it identifies family partnership as a central feature of the company's development. The company's original Copenhagen location was also transformed. In 1937, the earlier building at Gammeltorv 6 was replaced by a new structure designed by architect Arne Jacobsen. The building became known as the Stelling House, or Stellings Hus. It is an important surviving marker of the company's presence in central Copenhagen and of the connection between the business and Danish modernist architecture. In 1991, the Stelling House was listed in Denmark's registry of protected buildings and places. Stelling's industrial manufacturing history ended with the closure of the Valby factory in the 1980s. Its later identity is primarily that of a retailer of office and art supplies, while its earlier paint-shop and coatings-manufacturing origins remain essential to understanding the company. The cited material does not specify current revenue, ownership, number of locations, executive leadership, or a detailed catalogue of branded products. Accordingly, the modern business should be described conservatively as a Denmark-focused specialist retailer with a long Copenhagen heritage rather than as a documented international group.
- 1991
Stelling House receives heritage protection
[1]The Stelling House was entered into Denmark's registry of protected buildings and places.
- 1980
Valby factory closes
[1]The company's Valby factory closed during the 1980s, after which most of the industrial buildings were demolished.
- 1937
Stelling House completed
[1]The original headquarters at Gammeltorv 6 was replaced by a building designed by Arne Jacobsen, later known as the Stelling House.
- 1933
Olaf Stelling becomes a partner
[1]Olaf Stelling joined the family business as a partner.
- 1912
Walter Stelling succeeds Anton Stelling
[1]Walter Stelling became the company's chief representative after Anton Stelling's death.
- 1912
Valby factory expansion begins
[1]The company's paint, lacquer and varnish factory at Valgårdsvej 2 in Valby underwent a major expansion during 1912–1914.
- 1900
Stelling family partnership and factory acquisition
[1]Walter and Erwin Stelling joined the company as partners, and the business acquired F. E. van der Aa Kühle's Lacquer Factory in Valby.
- 1860
Paint shop founded at Gammeltorv
[1]H. Schönwandt opened a paint shop at Gammeltorv 6 in Copenhagen, establishing the business history later associated with Stelling.
Products and positioning
A Copenhagen specialist retailer serving office, art and materials-related needs, with a heritage extending from a nineteenth-century paint shop to historical manufacturing operations.
Office supplies
Office supplies
Office supplies are one of the principal categories associated with Stelling's modern retail identity. The available references identify the company as a retailer in this field, but do not provide a complete current catalogue, named product families, brands, or technical specifications.
Art materials
Art supplies
Stelling is also described as a retailer of art supplies. This places the business within specialist creative-material retail, although the supplied sources do not identify individual product lines, manufacturers, or a detailed assortment.
Coatings and decorating materials
Paint, lacquer and varnish
Paint, lacquer and varnish are central to Stelling's historical business. The company operated a Valby factory connected with these materials from the early twentieth century until the factory closed in the 1980s. The references do not establish whether specific historical formulations remain sold under the Stelling name today.
Sources2 sources
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