Guide — Teak wood
Teak wood furniture: properties, quality and care
Teak is the wood behind most of our cabinets. This page explains what makes it special, what to look for when buying, and how to care for it so it will still look right in thirty years.
Why teak lasts
Teak contains natural oils and silica that make it exceptionally resistant to water, insects and rot. That is why it has been used for centuries in shipbuilding, garden furniture and colonial architecture. In interiors, those same oils mean the wood barely moves with the seasons — perfect for a heated Northern-European home.
Reclaimed teak vs new teak
Reclaimed teak comes from Indonesian buildings, boats and old furniture that has been drying for 40–100 years. The result is deeply stable wood with a lived-in patina you cannot fake. New (freshly milled) teak is lighter in colour and needs more time to settle. Both are used in our workshop; we prefer reclaimed for larger cabinets.
Caring for teak indoors
Indoors, teak needs almost no maintenance. Dust with a soft cloth. Refresh once a year with a matte teak oil if the finish looks dry. Avoid all-purpose cleaners with alcohol. Direct sunlight will lighten the wood over years — usually a welcome ageing effect.
Frequently asked questions
Is teak the same as mango wood?
No. Mango is much lighter, softer and less dimensionally stable. It is a fine budget wood for smaller items but not comparable to teak for large cabinets or long-lifetime pieces.
Is your teak sustainably sourced?
The majority of our teak is reclaimed — recovered from Indonesian buildings and boats — which is the most sustainable option because no new tree is felled. Newly milled teak we use is plantation-grown and FSC-managed.
How is teak best oiled?
Once a year, wipe the surface with a small amount of matte teak or Danish oil, then buff off with a clean cloth. Never varnish or lacquer indoor teak — it prevents the wood from breathing.
Our webshop and customer service run in Dutch. English support is available on request via WhatsApp or email.
See our teak collection on FF Iets Anders (Dutch site)