Extraordinary Heritage
EXTRAORDINARY HERITAGE
Extraordinary Heritage
We are innovators and creators of the extraordinary, using the finest woods available. This has been our mission since our origin, right through to present day.
Our understanding of wood is unmatched, and we have a deep connection with the material, appreciating its soul and beauty at every stage of our craftwork.
This appreciation means we are unrivalled in our approach to creating and make the very best wood floors through a series of intricate handcrafting techniques.
Woodworks’ restoration quality is second-to-none and our unique take on aged and new woods make us the finest wooden creators in the world.
Here’s how we began, how we grew, and how we became the Woodworks we are today.
1988 - Origin
Our Woodworks origins date back to 1988, when Victorian Woodworks began creating antique and reclaimed flooring using meticulous handcrafting techniques in East London.
Victorian Woodworks operated for many years, before eventually becoming part of our family in 2011. They were the original patina specialists, and were well renowned for restoring Parquet de Versailles flooring in the most impeccable manner.
1993 - CREATION
Having discovered the enchantment of wood from his childhood, when he helped to de-nail old wood for his father’s home restorations, Robert developed an early passion for reclaimed timbers.
In 1993, Robert began reclaiming old timbers from factories and cotton mills across the industrial North of England.
Starting in a small back garden, we learned all about the nature of these woods, and set about fully restoring and transforming them by hand into reclaimed floors with soul and feeling.
Robert did this because he believed in living with extra special woods, a principle we at Woodworks have embodied ever since.
1995 - WIDE PLANKS
From unearthing flooring treasures hidden within Victorian industrial buildings and fully restoring them, Woodworks started experimenting with wide plank solid wood floors using new European Oak.
This was an industry first, as narrow maple strip floors were the standard at the time.
Many thought this would be impossible, but we wanted to provide a true design innovation and were unwavering in our commitment to making wide planks a reality.
1997 - FSC certified
Sustainability was at the forefront of our ethos from the very beginning.
When we started crafting new wood floors in 1997, we became one of the first companies in Europe to be fully FSC™ certified, and have been ever since.
Every Woodworks floor is sustainably sourced and certified, without you ever having to pay extra for the privilege.
Whether its genuine reclaimed, FSC™, PEFC or any other accreditation, we assure our woods have minimal environmental impact, simply because it is the right thing to do for our planet’s future.
2005 - FIRST DESIGN CENTRE
In 2005 we took a leap of faith and moved into a new location in Cheshire, which we called home until 2021.
This was shortly followed by the opening of our first Design Centre, for customers to see all our floors on display.
Throughout our journey, we have been sure to never forget that the purpose of all our efforts is to share our finds with our clients, to ensure that we craft extraordinary floors which work within your spaces.
2008 - Engineered flooring
Having innovated design for many years, creating the widest and longest oak planks available, we faced a challenge in 2008.
The introduction of underfloor heating meant that our solid wood floors, which were revered for the design statement they created and their stability, suddenly became unsuitable for many projects.
Switching to a primarily engineered construction for our antique, reclaimed and new wood floors was a massive hurdle to overcome, but since then we have gone from strength to strength.
Nowadays a vast majority of our flooring has an engineered construction, making them amongst the most durable flooring options you’re ever likely to find.
2011 - victorian woodworks
Having mastered new wood flooring, we returned to our reclaimed roots in 2011.
We acquired Victorian Woodworks to create the world’s leading antique and reclaimed floor company. The fit was perfect, but we saw more potential. As such we invested heavily in the new workshops and finishing facilities needed to ensure continued success.
This allowed us to experiment with yet more intricate handcrafting techniques, enhancing the skills of our artisans, who now host centuries of collective knowledge.
2016 - MARGARET STREET, LONDON
The Victorian Woodworks name remained for several years but in 2016, we officially became Woodworks.
We moved the Woodworks Design Centre to Margaret Street, Fitzrovia, London, close to world-famous Oxford Street and the prestigious West End.
Our London headquarters have remained at this home ever since, with remarkable full size panels that allow visitors to take in every aspect of their flooring.
2017 - OLD WAR OFFICE RESTORATION
In 2017 London’s Old War Office underwent a huge-scale renovation, transforming the building into a luxury hotel space.
As part of this process, we were lucky enough to become custodians of the Columbian Pitch Pine which sat within the building.
The restoration of this wood was meticulous.
When creating these engineered boards with perfectly hand rolled edges, our artisans took extra care to ensure the centuries old wood was never dishonoured. Thousands of handlings and hundreds of years of collective experience were needed to bring out the very best this reclaimed pine had to offer.
2018 - HUDSON NYC OFFICE OPENS
After years of working on projects throughout North America, we launched our Woodworks brand in New York.
As part of the launch, we exhibited our Rare Finds at both the Architectural Digest Design Show in New York and the Kitchen Bathroom Industry Show in Las Vegas. At KBIS we won the ‘Best Small Booth’ award and got our US journey off to the best possible start.
Since then, we’ve found happy homes in both New York and California, with sights set on yet more locations across the United States.
2021 - CENTRAL WORKSHOPS OPEN
Throughout 2021 we made a number of significant changes to Woodworks.
As you already know, all our wood flooring is created from our unrivalled selection of raw materials by the hands of our skilled artisans. But in November, we expanded our horizons and relocated our Woodworks workshops to a brand-new location, Central Road.
Central Road is a 60,000 sq ft location which brings together every aspect of Woodworks; championing the restoration of old woods and celebrating our unique approach to aged and new woods with a significant investment in new facilities.
This does not only does this allow us more space and scope to build exceptional flooring within. It means we can be more creative in our approach and outlook, with designs unlike any you have ever seen before launching in 2022.
The move was a tremendous challenge, involving everybody at Woodworks, and we are thrilled to have a workshop that reflects our ambitious outlook moving into the future.
We hope you join us in creating the extraordinary.