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The Beauty of Aging

Although it may sound outmoded, there’s nothing old-fashioned about an Antique American wide plank floor. Tenacious, charismatic, sustainable and unique per definition, Antique wood bears many qualities to like.

A natural beauty

Centuries ago, much oak was originally harvested from dark old-growth forests where it grew slowly, producing magnificent trees with a tight dense grain structure. In Europe, most of these old-growth forests were cut centuries ago, but on America’s East Coast they survived longer, and were used by early settlers in the 18th century. Carefully reclaimed from old American barns, mills or homes, the boards we offer are cut from very old and dense beams, floors or sidings. Traces of its previous use are everywhere. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but it’s hard not to be charmed by its intriguing appearance.
As the wood has been used for anything from 80 to 250 years — deployed as beams, floors or sidings — traces of its previous use are everywhere. The imperfections created by the nails and hinges only add to its beauty. Take Antique American White Oak. It has an abundance of worm-, beetle- and nail holes, but also knots, cracks and a beautiful ageing patina.

Exclusive yet responsible

We dare to state that if you intend to create a space with character, this is your narrative. Why? An Antique wood flooring is per definition unique. No two planks are ever identical, which gives a space with this specific wide plank floor an immediate sense of agency. Although it’s been around for decades, Antique wood is a contemporary sound choice; a rewarding option for those who are pursuing an ethical design solution.


Holiday house in Latvia by Studio Caché.

Contemporary meets vintage

If the look and feel of reclaimed wood fits your project, our new Vintage-sawn selections and distressing techniques are an excellent alternative. Decades of expertise and know-how have enabled us to replicate the way the wood was cut in the old days, from the core part of the tree with its distinctive heart cracks and in-grown knots. This implies we can deliver extra-long and extra wide planks, selected from the finest parts of old-growth trees, that bear an unmistakable antique character and can be beautifully combined with genuine antique planks (which are usually smaller or with a limited availability) in one floor.

A beautiful example of such a floor that combines Antique White Oak and new Vintage-sawn Oak boards with an antique wood character is this holiday house by Studio Caché in Latvia.

That it’s sometimes hard to even distinguish between reclaimed wood and new Vintage-sawn is clear when looking at the design of this poetic country residence by Barcelona-based design studio Mimouca. Entirely fitted with extra-wide and up-to-5m tall Continental Oak Country Vintage planks, the newly built second home fits the historic area like a glove.

Country residence by Mimouca.

Randolph Road, London.

Amongst our personal favorite projects using reclaimed wood is this random width Antique American Oak wide plank floor we’ve created on London's Randolph Road, with planks measuring up to 30,5 cm in width. The chosen timber has a strong character and unique aesthetics: worm-, beetle- and nail holes, cracks and beautiful ageing patina.


Reclaimed Highlights

At Ebony and Co, we offer various antique wood products: Antique American White Oak, Antique Oak Original Sawkerf, Antique American Chestnut, Silvergrey Barnwood, Anthracite Grey Barnwood, Antique American Ash, and more. We are happy to explain to you the specifics of each of them. All our antique wood comes from a handpicked selection of old-growth wood formerly used in beams, siding or floorboards. We craft the reclaimed wood, with its beautifully uniform growth structure, into XL wide plank sizes that are consistent in stability and natural beauty. We have crafted reclaimed planks up to 4 m (12 feet) in length, and up to 35 cm (14 inches) wide.

Treasure hunt

Another treasure in our collection of reclaimed wood comes from old train wagons. Wagons that were used during the 20th Century, often older than 50 years, were made of solid Oak that weathered out to a very groovy textured surface by decades of exposure to rain and sun. Even though this surface appears rough, it is remarkably smooth to use as a floor or wall cladding.

Antique Wagon Oak Milled
Antique Wagon Oak Unmilled