Heerenhuis
Monumental solid wood and metal tables, Antwerp workshop since 1994
Philosophy
Materials are the design. Wood comes with its knots and cracks, that's the point, not the flaw. Heerenhuis masks nothing.
History
Antwerp, 1994. Geert Legein and Louis van Haesebrouck found Heerenhuis with a philosophy that fits in one sentence: 'We make tables. That's what we do.'
No sofas. No lighting. No lifestyle range. Tables. In solid wood and metal. The kind of table you don't move, because it weighs 200 kilos, and because you have no reason to.
French oak comes with its knots, irregularities, cracks. Steel isn't lacquered, it's raw, sometimes deliberately oxidized. Leather is vegetable-tanned. Heerenhuis hides nothing: materials are the design. 'Non-perfect good quality materials', that's their mantra, quoted by Remodelista in an article that introduced the brand beyond Belgium.
Kaspar Hamacher, Belgian sculptor known for burned wood pieces, collaborates with Heerenhuis for sculptural editions, table-art objects where wood is charred, hollowed, transformed. The line between furniture and sculpture disappears.
The workshop is in Antwerp. Manufacturing is Belgian and European. Each piece is hand-finished, oil, wax or varnish, depending on wood and use.
Heerenhuis is one of those brands you discover at someone else's place and never forget. A Heerenhuis table in a room is a silent declaration: we love things that last, have substance, and don't apologize for being imperfect.
Every Heerenhuis piece is designed to be the last you buy. Table tops are carved from whole logs, oak, walnut, reclaimed teak, with raw steel or cast iron legs. The solid wood / industrial metal contrast has become a signature copied across high-end furniture. But you recognize the original: the weight, the wood's touch, the proud imperfections.
Iconic Products
Table Maestro
The signature table, 4 to 6 cm thick French oak slab top, raw or blackened steel base. Generous dimensions (up to 3m+), natural irregular edges. The kind of table you sit around for the next 30 years. Weight: expect 150 to 250 kg. Delivery is a logistics operation. But once placed, it doesn't move. Ever.
Banc Farmer
The solid bench that accompanies the table. French oak, metal legs, wide seat. No backrest, it's a bench, not a chair. Designed to slide under the table when not in use. The kind of bench you can seat 6 for dinner or 3 kids for homework.
Kaspar Hamacher × Heerenhuis
The sculptural editions, collaboration with Kaspar Hamacher. Tables and benches in charred, hollowed, fire-sculpted solid wood. Wood is intentionally burned to reveal the internal structure of the trunk. Art + furniture, no boundary. The kind of piece you see in a museum or at a collector's. Priced accordingly.