Antiqva - unique furniture and objects made of old wood saved from the fire

I've told you many times about recovered woodThe wood used in the past to make houses, furniture, doors, windows and other objects, which instead of being thrown away is reused for various projects. Wood recovery is common practice worldwide, and furniture and objects made from old wood are even more appreciated than those made from new wood, as the signs of the passage of time add value. I am glad to see that this type of wood is starting to be worked in our country too and that a public is slowly forming for objects made from reclaimed wood.

Recovering and reusing wood is not only about design or fashion, but also about respect for nature and all that surrounds us, and it is how some of us understand how to protect resources. I was happy to discover such people at Antiqvapeople who manage to make incredible things out of what others throw away or set on fire.

I first saw them at this year's BIFE-SIM fair and although they didn't have a big stand, they attracted a lot of attention. I also liked the way they received our magazine - with a smile and a friendly reply: "and we love wood and everything related to it". I saw their products and wanted to talk to them more, but the busy schedule at the fair made it impossible. However, I didn't give up, so after the fair I paid them a visit "at home".

And I'm not wrong when I say "home", because that's the feeling when you get there, Crinu Draghici, introducing the two young people in charge of design and production "children", you wonder if they're not his own children. Outside, next to the office, there's a nice area with trees, a table and a barbecue where, when it's warm, everyone (including the factory workers) have lunch, and a few chickens are quietly roaming around in a fenced-in area a little further back. It's such a pleasant, friendly atmosphere that you begin to wonder whether you've ended up in a factory or a hostel.

But let me tell you the Antiqva story in more detail. Crinu Draghici wasn't always in the furniture business. He worked in another field, which was very demanding. At one point he decided to give up his old life and move near Sfântu Gheorghe, to Sâncraiu, which a friend from Denmark who came to visit told him was "heaven".

Arriving in a place where many people are involved in woodworking and loving wood, the idea of furniture came naturally. And he thought the best idea was reclaimed wood. He hired two young wood industry graduates, brought along a few friends who had given up jobs in big companies for the passion of woodworking, and the idea was born Antiqva Sustainable Furniture.

The factory, like many in this country, is in an old building that used to house animals. These are the best places to set up a small factory, because the style of the building imposes a certain flow, which is very suitable for furniture making. He bought some machinery from Danibrum and got to work.

He salvages the wood wherever possible. He has 2 boys who roam the country trying to find that wood that can be given another life. But it's not easy and often people who simply throw away or burn the wood, when asked to sell it, drive up the price. About a pile of wooden beams and beams I saw in the yard he told me it was a 200-year-old house from Maramureș. When he discovered it, the man was just preparing to cut the wood to be put on the fire. When he was offered to sell it overnight, the price jumped absolutely spectacularly.

Antiqva specializes in one-of-a-kind items. For this reason it is also very difficult to present what they do in pictures, because the people who order the pieces want the designs to be theirs alone, and Antiqqva respects their wishes.

Everything is done with great care and respect for nature and natural, from start to finish. Old wood, attacked by wood decay, is treated until they are convinced that there are no living larvae inside. Old wood is often combined with new wood, the contrast making the object even more interesting. Finishing is done with special natural oils with a fantastic scent of cinnamon, vanilla and tobacco. The object not only looks great, but also has a pleasant, discreet scent.

Old wood and beautiful objects also surround them in the office. As soon as you walk in you see doors distressed or made from pieces of reclaimed wood, old wood paneling decorating the walls, office furniture made from the same old wood, a ceiling lamp made from an old beam.

New' objects made from reclaimed wood mix with old, authentic objects. An old yoke hanging on the wall and a jalalù sitting pride of place on a font tell you that even the traditional is not forgotten.

It's a beautiful world at Antiqva, a world you wish you could meet more often. The promotion of young people, the concern for natural materials and, last but not least, this idea of sustainable furniture, makes the brand Antiqua to be very attractive to customers from abroad. We very much want it to be equally attractive to the Romanian market, which is maturing every day.