Six core materials.
Approved before production begins.

Reclaimed teak is sourced from the demolition of colonial-era Indonesian buildings: farmhouses, warehouses, bridges and workshop structures built between 1820 and 1940. The timber in these structures was old-growth teak, slower-grown than today's plantation stock, with grain density and natural oil content that modern cultivation cannot replicate.

The character of reclaimed teak, bolt holes, saw marks, age checks, the occasional mortise socket, is treated as a feature, not a defect. Each piece is unique. Before any reclaimed timber enters the workshop, it is assessed for structural integrity: pieces with active rot, sapwood degradation or structural compromise are rejected. Only sound timber proceeds to production.

From a sustainability standpoint, reclaimed teak has zero new-harvest impact. It carries embodied carbon from a century-old structure and converts it into furniture with a projected lifespan of another fifty years. Carbon footprint certificates can be provided on request for projects with sustainability reporting requirements.

Rattan is not a wood, it is the stem of a climbing palm vine (Calamus spp.) that grows in tropical rainforest understory across Kalimantan and Sulawesi. It is harvested without killing the plant, making it one of the genuinely renewable materials used in the workshop. Indonesia supplies approximately 80% of the world's rattan.

The rattan team works with two grades of material: core rattan (the inner pith, used for structural frames) and peel rattan (the outer skin, split into flat strips for weaving). The combination produces furniture that is lightweight relative to its structural strength, a 65 cm hanging chair frame with full weaving typically weighs under 6 kg.

The primary limitation of natural rattan is UV sensitivity: prolonged direct sunlight bleaches and eventually brittles the fibres. For covered outdoor applications, verandas, pool pavilions, shaded terraces, natural rattan performs reliably for 15 to 20 years. For fully exposed outdoor use, Ubud Atelier offers a UV-coating treatment that extends outdoor viability to 8 to 12 years and changes the appearance minimally.

Giant bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper), known locally as pring petung, is grown in Bali's central highlands at altitudes between 600 and 1,200 metres. At these elevations, the culms (stems) grow to diameters of 10 to 20 cm with wall thickness sufficient for structural applications. The material is harvested at 3 to 5 years maturity, a growth cycle approximately ten times faster than teak.

Untreated bamboo is vulnerable to moisture and insect damage. All bamboo used in Ubud Atelier projects is pre-treated through a two-stage process: boiling to remove starches (which attract insects) and a borax-boric acid soak for fungal and termite resistance. Treated bamboo can be used in tropical climates for 15 to 25 years before structural replacement is needed.

The primary application in hospitality projects is architectural: ceiling cladding, pendant light frames, decorative screens between spaces, and canopy structures for pavilions and beach clubs. Bamboo is not typically used for weight-bearing furniture in commercial settings, but it produces some of the most visually distinctive lighting and architectural elements in the workshop's portfolio.

Paras is a pale grey-to-beige volcanic andesite quarried in several locations across Bali, most notably in the Kediri and Tabanan regions. It is a soft stone by geological standards, Mohs hardness 5 to 6, compared to granite at 6 to 7, which is precisely what makes it suitable for hand carving. The detailed relief work seen on Balinese temple architecture is almost universally executed in Paras.

The stone carving team works exclusively with hand tools: chisels, mallets and scrapers of varying profiles. No CNC. The result is surface texture that CNC cannot replicate, the slight irregularity of hand-worked stone that catches raking light differently across a wall or basin surface. Standard lead time for carved stone pieces is 3 to 4 weeks within a broader production run.

Weight is the primary logistical consideration for Paras stone: a 50 cm side table typically weighs 35 to 45 kg; a 60 cm basin, 40 to 60 kg. Structural floor loading must be confirmed before specifying stone furniture in upper-floor applications. All stone pieces are sealed with a penetrating silicone sealer before shipping; resealing is recommended every 2 to 3 years depending on climate exposure.

All hardware supplied by Ubud Atelier is solid brass, not brass-plated steel or zinc alloy, which are standard in commercial furniture hardware. Solid brass is heavier, more expensive and more durable: the material itself is corrosion-resistant, meaning that surface degradation reveals the same brass underneath rather than exposing a base metal.

Hardware is sourced from a metalworking collective in Yogyakarta with whom the workshop has worked for over fifteen years. Standard finishes available without surcharge: raw (unlacquered, will patinate naturally), brushed satin, aged/patinated and matte black (PVD coating). Custom finishes, satin gold, gunmetal, polished, are available at a 3 to 4 week lead time premium.

For coastal properties where sea air accelerates corrosion, Ubud Atelier specifies marine-grade brass, a higher-copper alloy composition, combined with a clear lacquer coating. This is the appropriate specification for any property within approximately 500 metres of open ocean. The additional cost is modest; the maintenance saving over a 10-year period is significant.