We put a lot of work and passion into our products, carefully selecting and processing the materials to make the furniture last hopefully more than a lifetime. If treated with respect and cared for, they will patinate with grace and become even more beautiful and desirable over time.
However, a few important precautions are necessary. Please read the following thoroughly before commencing any treatment or maintenance.
All our wood is thoroughly conditioned to a very low level of humidity before being shaped and assembled. This is an important process and will initially stabilise the wood.
None the less when a finished product leaves our workshop and commence its long life of duty, the wood will adapt to the humidity level of the present surroundings, which will cause the wood to warp and slightly change shape and dimensions.
Every construction and detail in our products are carefully designed and crafted to accommodate these forces of nature. Still it is useful to pay specific attention to certain aspects of the behaviour of wood and other natural materials in our products and how to take care of it.
For daily maintenance use a cloth wrung with lukewarm water. Always cover all areas evenly.
Wash with soap water once or twice a year or as necessary. You will need:
– 1 tea spoon white soap flakes (use soap with a high fat content)
– 2 liters of warm water (approx. 40 degrees celsius)
– a soft sponge
– a clean cloth
– fine sandpaper or sanding pad (minimum grain 200)
Stir the soap and the water into a milky white solution. Use the soft sponge to distribute the soap water evenly covering all surfaces following the wood grain. Be careful not to soak the wood.
Wood can be scrubbed along the wood grain with a natural hair brush or a soft sponge if the furniture is particularly dirty.
After washing, all excess soap water should be wiped off with a dry cloth and the surface should be left to air dry for about 30 minutes. When the surface is dry it may be sanded gently along the wood grain if necessary using fine sandpaper or sanding pad.
The above process can be repeated until the required result is reached.
Never use tools containing iron.
It’s important to use soap with a high content of fat, because this is what gives nourishment to the wood.
Most common soaps are made with the purpose of removing fat and are not suited for soap washing wood. Beware to use a proper fat soap with no perfume or other additives.
Wood can be treated with vegetable oil, which will bring out the colour nuances in the wood grain and provide some initial protection of the surface against stains.
For darker woods such as cherry or walnut we prefer oil treatment, as the colour and the character of the grain will otherwise not be pronounced.
Use a clean cloth to oil the chair and make sure the oil is lightly and evenly distributed. Get a new soft dry cloth and wipe off the remaining oil of the furniture, always following the wood grain. Then leave it to dry. It can take a day or two before the oil has hardened up, depending on the oil used.
You need:
– wood surface treatment oil
– 2 clean cloths
– a plastic bag (for disposal of oil-soaked cloths)
Be careful not to get oil on materials such as fabric or leather. Oil-treated furniture can leave grease marks until completely hardened, therefore do not place the furniture directly on carpets or on soap treated wooden floors until one to two weeks after the last oil treatment.
Oil-soaked cloths can self-ignite. Dispose of them in a closed plastic bag containing water or store them in a sealed metal container or glass jar.
Modern furniture leather requires only regular dusting with a soft cloth and frequent vacuum cleaning with a clean brush.
Once or twice a year, it is advisable to add some nourishment to the leather. We recommend washing the leather with soap. You will need:
– 1 tea spoon white soap flakes (use soap with a high fat content)
– 1 liter of clean lukewarm water
– a cloth or a sponge
Stir the soap and the water into a milky white solution. Use the soft sponge or cloth to distribute the soap water evenly covering the full surface.
It is important that the surface is evenly moistened to avoid staining as the surface dries. Be careful not to soak the leather.
Without further washing, allow the surface to dry at room temperature so the soap solution is absorbed into the leather.
Repeat the process if the leather is badly soiled.
Vegetal leather has no surface protection treatment and is a very sensitive material. Exposed to daylight, the vegetal leather over time gains a beautiful natural patina.
Papercord and cane are natural materials with no surface protecting finish. Over time, through exposure to daylight, they will gain a beautiful natural patina.
Cleaning is done best with a solution of soap flakes in clean lukewarm water. Wash the surface gently using a soft cloth or sponge wrung out in the same solution. Especially with papercord, it is important that they are not drenched in the solution and that surfaces are moistened evenly to avoid staining as the surface dries.
– 1 tea spoon white soap flakes (use soap with a high fat content)
– 1 liter of clean lukewarm water
– A cloth or a sponge
Without further washing, allow the seat to dry at room temperature so the soap solution is absorbed into the wickerwork. Repeat the process if the seat is badly soiled.
