Owner Jeroen Zijlmans grew up in a shipping family. All the furniture in the ship was custom made and fully equipped. That sparked his interest in being able to make this too. In 2006, he earned his degree in furniture making. After several years of work experience, he took the step in 2011 to start his own company, Zijlmans Maatwerk.

In his spacious workshop, he talks passionately about his work. ”Together with the customer I discuss the wishes and the possibilities, and then I get to work.” Several years ago he was at the tipping point, hire staff or purchase a CNC machine to meet demand. He chose the latter.

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Zijlmans Maatwerk’s specialty is working with solid wood, with a preference for oak. Oak is a solid and durable product that can be processed very well to suit everyone’s personal taste.

For the finish, Zijlmans uses several products from Anker Stuy Coatings’ furniture and interior construction range, such as the Aplexol Hardwax, HD LM color stain and HD Nano Pur 2K System Lacquer Clear. ”I have been using Anker Stuy’s products for several years now to very great satisfaction. I do this in cooperation with Claasen Coatings from The Hague. They offer the right support and together we achieve the desired result”, says Zijlmans.

Which finish is chosen depends on the situation and the application of the furniture. ”When I present a customer with the choice, varnish or oil. Then they often choose the oil, because they think lacquer is shiny. When I then show them the result of the natural matte clear varnish, they are very surprised!”

Zijlmans has many great projects on the horizon. Partly due to the home inspiration programs, demand remains diverse. Custom furniture remains unique and popular!