5 Iconic Furniture Brands from Spain You Should Know About:Treku: Descendants of a Renowned Woodworking Tradition

October 14, 2024 / Spain for Design /

Founded in 1947, Treku is a brand known for its contemporary furniture. Based in Zarautz, a small coastal town in the Basque country with a great naval tradition, it designs, manufactures and exports its furniture to more than 50 countries worldwide through a select portfolio of stores and professionals. In 1947, Jesús Aldabaldetrecu, who was from Zarautz, opened a carpentry workshop. At the age of thirty-six, he had been working in the field since he was a boy. He was another link to a woodworking tradition which dated back more than five hundred years in this part of the province of Gipuzkoa. Alongside to what was happening in the fishing trade carried out by most inhabitants in the region, the people of Zarautz were becoming specialists and achieved worldwide fame for the construction of small fishing boats and traineras (rowing boats), which were fundamental for whale hunting.

During the industrial revolution, sea and beach tourism became popular in Zarautz. With its stretch of beach of over two kilometers, it became a favourite destination for royalty and the bourgeoisie of the time, and was particularly known for baños de ola – jumping through the waves while holding onto a rope. The shipyards, where boats were built for centuries, became home to the creation of luxury furniture. Almost 70 years after its founding, Muebles Treku remains in the hands of Jesús Aldabaldetrecu’s descendants. After Jesús Aldabaldetrecu retired, his children expanded the business by transforming the small carpentry workshop into a modern factory and began selling their products across Europe. With the growth of their company , they moved operations to a new 12.000 square meter factory in the Olaa neighbourhood of Zarautz.

The Treku of today is a company combining technology and the wood craft which, for over 500 years, has been in the DNA of the carpenters of Zarautz. Jesús’ grandchildren work with a team of carpenters, designers, sales reps, and managers. The company collaborates with renowned designers from Spain and abroad. Spain for Design highlights three collections.

Aura Collection

Designed by Spanish designers Angel Martí & Enrique Delamo, the Aura collection of sideboards was conceived as furniture for living and dining rooms. Its design inspiration is the design culture of the Nordic countries with its combination of tradition, naturalness, and large doses of modernity. The result? A collection full of memories with a very modern aura.

The metal and wood legs reinforce the retro and timeless look.

The pieces are covered with natural walnut and oak veneers and lacquer in several colours.

Lauki Collection

Designed by Ibon Arrizabalaga, the Lauki collection is based on a modular design concept. It comprises multiple box-shaped pieces that can be arranged on the floor, piled on top of one another or hung from the wall. They are available in various dimensions, finishes and functions, enabling the user to create an endless variety of configurations to suit any room. For example, the same module can be configured into a bedside table, an office drawer unit, a TV unit, a sideboard, or a filing cabinet for the office.

A thin half-centimeter frame envelopes each piece, reinforcing the push-to-open drawers that lend a touch of imagination to a design whose appeal belies its technical complexity.

Bisell Collection

With a traditional and modern look, the simple design combines solid wood and upholstery to obtain distinct finishes which, together with different wood and metal bases, suit a variety of settings and uses.