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

I've told you many times about recovered wood, the wood used in the past to make houses, furniture, doors, windows or other objects, which is reused for various projects instead of being thrown away. Wood recovery is a common practice worldwideand furniture and objects made of old wood are even more appreciated than those made of new wood, as the signs of age add value. I'm glad to see that we are starting to work with this kind of wood and that an audience for objects made from reclaimed wood is slowly forming.

Recovering and reusing wood is not only about design or fashion, but also about respect for nature and everything around us, and is the way 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 the BIFE-SIM fair this year 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 that impossible. However, I didn't give up on the idea, so after the fair I paid them a visit "at home".

And I'm really not wrong when I say "home", because that's what it feels like when you get there, Crinu Drăghici, introducing the two young people in charge of design and production "children" that you wonder if they're not even his own children. Outside, next to the office, there is a beautiful area with trees, a table and a barbecue where, when it's hot, they all dine (including those who work in the factory), and a little further back, in a confined space, a few chickens are quietly roaming. It's such a pleasant, friendly atmosphere that you begin to wonder whether you've arrived at a factory or a guesthouse.

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 demanded a lot from him. At some point he decided to give up his old life and move near Sfântu Gheorghe, to Sâncraiu, which a visiting friend from Denmark told him was "heaven".

Arriving in a place where many people are into woodworking and loving wood themselves, the idea of furniture came naturally. And the best idea seemed to him to involve reclaimed wood. He hired two young woodworking graduates, brought along a few friends who had given up jobs in big companies for his passion for woodworking, and the result 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 make a small factory, because the style of construction imposes a certain flow, very suitable for furniture making. He bought some machinery from Danibrumand got to work.

The wood is recovered wherever possible. He has two boys who travel 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, will increase the price a lot. About a pile of wooden beams and beams I saw in the yard he told me it was a 200-year-old house from Maramures. When he discovered it, the man was just getting ready to cut the wood to put on the fire. The moment he was offered to sell, overnight, the price jumped absolutely spectacularly.

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

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

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

"New" reclaimed wood objects mix with old, authentic objects. An old yoke on the wall and a jingle sitting proudly on a pole tell you that the traditional is not forgotten either.

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 be very attractive to outside customers. We very much want it to be equally attractive to the Romanian market, which is maturing every day.