At DT-69, sustainable furniture is handmade from reclaimed old oak. The old oak wood we use comes from old farmers barns in central Europe. These are no longer in use there, and are being demolished. We import the wood for its unique properties and give it a new life.
After all, reclaimed old oak is not only beautiful but also particularly suitable for making durable furniture. We are only too happy to tell you all about it.
In farm barns, oak beams have served as construction wood for many decades, especially in the exterior walls. Here, weather influences such as rain, wind, sun and frost have given them a unique patina. The colour play created in this old oak is very beautiful and cannot be artificially replicated.
Besides natural beauty, wooden beams have of course always had a load-bearing function. This proven strength makes the wood ideal for turning it into furniture.
Before the old oak can actually be reused, it has a long way to go. For one thing, we don’t want to run the risk with pests like longhorn beetle or woodworm. To rule out problems, our old oak undergoes a natural heat treatment for several weeks. This involves exposing the wood to very low to high temperatures several times. This way, we make the wood pest-free and avoid treatments with insecticides.
After treatment, the wood is still bent, twisted, covered in dirt and full of holes (from old joints). Processing this is very challenging and requires specialised expertise.
Artisanal woodworking has been a top priority since Marius and Joke started their antique shop in 1969. To restore antiques, creating precise colour, shape and appearance was absolutely essential. For years, they enjoyed and successfully restored antiques. Upon request, this knowledge was then applied to the production of new furniture.
After antiques became less popular, their three sons continued to expand the artisanal furniture production. Anno 2024, the third generation is working in the company. It has now specialised entirely in crafting furniture from reclaimed old wood.
Because old oak beams are all different, traditional manual processing of these is the very best. Modern methods are focused on processing as many as possible as efficiently as possible. In these production lines, almost all materials and components are standardised, thought out, and straight. Only traditional woodworking methods are flexible and versatile enough to turn robust oak into a masterpiece.
The modern application of this now uncommon level of craftsmanship is DT-69’s great strength. Traditional craftsmanship and reused old oak produce truly special furniture, which will last a lifetime. In our furniture, all individual parts are carefully matched to each other by hand, exactly the way you want them. In this way, we make durable furniture from old oak.
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