OUR WORK.
We are a team of hardworking carpenters who create wonderful products with creativity, energy and love for the material.
In our carpentry workshop in Bad Zwischenahn, we primarily create custom furniture and complete
kitchens and
kitchen interiors . The planning and construction of bespoke kitchens has made our workshop well-known far beyond the Ammerland and Oldenburg regions over the past three decades. We rely on expert craftsmanship, high-quality materials, and a design process precisely tailored to your wishes and ideas.
Furthermore, we offer every imaginable type of custom-made furniture. Whether living room furniture, bathroom furnishings, wardrobes, sideboards, dining or living room tables, cabinets or display cases – we manufacture your desired furniture to your exact specifications. There are no limits to your wishes.
Every now and then we take the time to create first-class
boards and
kitchen utensils that impress with their superior functionality and unique design.
With great care and attention to detail, we craft the cutting board from wonderful material as a tool for preparing fine dishes and as an accessory for a stylish ambience.
The kitchen is a workshop for one of our most valuable activities:
the preparation of healthy, tasty dishes.
It is a personal joy and a passion for us to carry out these tasks in the kitchen using the highest quality tools and traditional craftsmanship.
As a design studio and carpentry workshop, Garrelts offers you a selection of unique kitchen boards and other products, each one a one-of-a-kind piece. Our range now extends from a wide variety of cutting boards, the so-called " real boards," to hand-turned pepper mills, salad servers, breakfast boards and rolling pins, as well as trays and candlesticks. All our products are special, unique items, meticulously handcrafted in our own woodworking shop in Ammerland.
Differences in wood type, grain, size and weight ensure that every piece of wood we handle becomes a unique piece with a distinctive character.
A unique piece of nature is transformed under our expert hands and eyes into a wonderful tool for your kitchen. Below, we would like to introduce you to our outstanding team in the workshop and office.
THE TEAM.
Since 1995 – Bernd Brockhoff from Ekern, carpenter
Since 2006 – Andre Meckelnborg from Oldenburg, master carpenter
Since 2009 – Ulrike Enders from Westerstede, interior designer
Since 2013 – Jasper Kreft from Westerstede, first an apprentice, now a wood technician
Since 2023 – Jelde Steffens from Oldenburg, the former trainee
since 2024 – Paulhans Schöß from Oldenburg, the current trainee
Since 2017 – Max Garrelts from Oldenburg, behind the digital scenes
Since 1995 we have trained these people as carpenters:
Aenne Holtorf, Hartwig Germer, Stefanie Künkel, Myriam Peters, Jens Backhus, David Schnitter, Jasper Kreft, Stephan Gerdts, Peter Häusler, Jan Deeken, Janis Raphael Kappel, Constantin Wragge, Christian Ruprecht, Simon Lobmeyer, Daniel Gerken
THE BOSS.
since 1993 – Hergen Garrelts from Ekern
1963
born in Oldenburg
1986
journeyman's examination to become a carpenter
1987-1988
Life and work on Spiekeroog
1988-1992
Studied product design under Prof. G. Böckelmann and Manfred Schellhorn at the Hildesheim University of Applied Sciences.
1991
journeyman's examination to become a wood turner
1992
graduated with a diploma in design.
since 1992
Working as a freelance designer and craftsperson. Member of the Lower Saxony and Hanover working groups for arts and crafts and design. Participation in numerous exhibitions.
1993
Construction of a workshop and studio in Bad Zwischenahn-Ekern
since 1994
member of the ako – working group arts and crafts Oldenburg.
organizers of “designvomdorf.”
since 1997
Teaching assignment at the Werkakademie für Gestaltung im Handwerk (Academy for Design in Craftsmanship)
Lecturer for perspective and freehand drawing
since 2003
co-organizer of the "nikolaimarkt oldenburg"
since 2007
Chairman of the AKO – Applied Arts Oldenburg e.V.
2022
Award ceremony of the “ Lower Saxony State Prize for Creative Craftsmanship 2022 ”
2024
member of the jury for the Lower Saxony State Prize 2025
2025
member of the jury for the "manufactum" state prize of North Rhine-Westphalia 2025
2025
We are hosting "designvomdorf" for the 30th time.
Film entry for the state prize:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV5BFyJYNXY&t=16s
OUR WORKSHOP.
The essential foundation for the high quality of all our products is created in our workshop. In the heart of the village of Ekern, in the side wing of an old farmhouse, we craft everything from kitchenware to salad servers with first-class workmanship. The premises on the old farmstead, with its modern extension, already embody our company philosophy: timeless design through traditional, high-quality craftsmanship. Here on the farm, the entire design and production process takes place, from the first sketch to the final touches. In addition to the woodworking shop, our joinery also has a small showroom, our studio, where interested visitors can view our products. This is also the location where the "Designvomdorf" event takes place annually on the first weekend in November. We invite you to visit us!
MATERIALS AND WOODS.
Whether in kitchen construction, furniture making or the production of boards, candlesticks, pepper mills, trays and other products, we place the highest value on outstanding quality of the materials used.
In addition to our commitment to quality, we place great value on timeless and practical design. Our choice of materials is also derived from these principles.
In the kitchen area, we predominantly use a mix of solid wood, robust black steel, durable stainless steel and sustainable linoleum.
In our workshop, we primarily work with the following woods: oak, ash, cherry, and walnut. We are happy to accommodate special requests regarding the type of wood. However, we generally refrain from using tropical woods.
SUSTAINABILITY.
When selecting materials for our products, we place great emphasis on the highest quality and sustainability. Therefore, we categorically avoid tropical woods and particleboard.
Furthermore, we refrain from using paints and generally try to avoid the use of plastics in our workshop.
Our boards consist exclusively of solid, unglued wood and ecological oil. In kitchen construction, we also optimize our joining methods so that predominantly screw connections minimize adhesive consumption in order to improve recyclability.
An equally important aspect in terms of sustainability is the concept of longevity. Timeless design and the highest quality workmanship ensure that our products bring joy for a very long time. In this way, we work together with you to counteract the fast furniture trend.
Regional environmental protection is also very important to us, and therefore we have been supporting the "BUND Ammerland" for several years with fundraising campaigns launched in connection with our "designvomdorf" project. Thanks to the support of our "designvomdorf" guests and the "BUND Ammerland," we were able to financially support a new orchard in Ammerland (Jeddeloh 2).
ENGAGEMENT.
In addition to our responsibility to our team and our customers, we also strive to contribute to and engage with the community. With this in mind, we place great importance on training young and aspiring individuals in the carpentry trade. We support our apprentices both in their technical and design development. Furthermore, Hergen Garrelts has been actively involved in the Ammerland Carpenters' Guild for many years and, within this framework, oversees the annual "Die gute Form" (Good Design) competition in Ammerland (BBS Ammerland). As preparation for this competition, he also regularly gives design lectures at the vocational schools in Ammerland.
Another important concern of ours is regional environmental protection. For this reason, since 2017 we have regularly organized sustainable fundraising campaigns on our "designvomdorf" website , with the proceeds going to the Ammerland branch of the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND). Thanks to your generosity, we have already raised over €2,000 for regional reforestation projects. At the last "designvomdorf" event , our visitors once again helped us collect over €500 for BUND. We were happy to round this amount up to €600 and present it to the BUND board (see photo with Ingrid Schilling and Susanne Grube). This money will soon be used to plant various hedges in the Ammerland region.
