Mid-century wooden chair before restoration — worn varnish on the workshop bench
The same chair after restoration — grain alive, finished in hand-rubbed oil

The same piece. Forty hours apart.

Furniture restoration in Rotterdam — every job photographed on the same bench, before and after, under the same light.

Teak sideboard — shellac finish

BeforeAfter

Oak dining table — Danish oil

BeforeAfter

Two people. One bench. Rotterdam.

Ash & Ember is a two-person restoration workshop. Every piece that comes through the door is stripped back to bare wood by hand, repaired where the joinery has shifted, and finished in oil or shellac — never spray lacquer, never shortcuts.

We supply two Rotterdam galleries and have been written about by Elle Decoration NL, Wallpaper, and de Volkskrant. We take a limited number of commissions at a time so every job gets the bench time it deserves.

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Stripped and repaired by hand
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Oil or shellac finish only — no lacquer
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Every job photographed before and after
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Limited commissions — full bench time
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Suppliers to two Rotterdam galleries

Three ways we can help.

Every tier ends with the same hand-finished result — the scope is what differs.

Refresh

For pieces that are sound but dull.

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Surface clean and degrease
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Wax or light oil treatment
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Minor scuff and scratch repair
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Hardware polish

Does not include: Stripping or re-staining; structural repairs; veneer work.

Best for: Inherited pieces in reasonable shape.

Full Restoration

For pieces that deserve to be stripped back and rebuilt.

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Full strip to bare wood
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Joinery tightening and re-gluing
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Grain-matched fill where needed
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Hand finish in oil or shellac of your choice

Does not include: New veneer or replacement parts; upholstery.

Best for: The piece you want to last another fifty years.

Rebuild

For pieces with missing veneer, failed joints, or parts that need cutting from scratch.

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Everything in Full Restoration
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New veneer cut to match
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Replacement joinery fabricated in-house
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Full strip and hand finish

Does not include: Upholstery or fabric work.

Best for: Serious collectors and pieces of real sentimental value.

As seen in —

Elle Decoration NL · Wallpaper* · de Volkskrant · Sight Unseen

We also supply restored pieces to two Rotterdam design galleries.

Have a piece that deserves this?

Send us a photograph — taken in natural light if you can — and tell us a little about the piece: what it is, where it came from, and what feels wrong with it.

We'll come back to you within two working days with a tier recommendation and a quote range.

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We reply to every enquiry personally. Rotterdam area collections available.