Care and Maintenance

By following our care & maintenance instructions, you’ll keep your Vaarnii products in good condition and extend their lifespan.

Indoor

All our indoor products are made of Finnish PEFC-certified pine (pinus sylvestris) and finished with stain-resistant, water-repellent, matte wood oil (we use Osmo Color hardwax-oil 3062 matt).

Pine will naturally change colour as it ages. Our products will start reacting with UV light very quickly once unboxed and start changing colour towards a beautiful honey tone.

General cleaning

Always wipe the surface of your product clean and dry of liquids as soon as possible. Wipe your product regularly using a soft cloth dampened with a solution of water and neutral detergent. Keep chemical exposure to a minimum and avoid rubbing.

Stain removal

Remove stains using a soft cloth and neutral detergent. In case wiping with neutral detergent does not clean the surface, you can try to remove the stains using natural matte wood oil or wax. Use a clean cloth and apply the oil along the grain. Wipe any excess oil off.

 

Care

We at Vaarnii celebrate rather than hide the aging and natural characteristics of pine, and our products do not necessarily require regular maintenance. However, to keep your product in the best possible condition, you can clean it gently with a fine abrasive sanding cloth once every 2 to 5 years (we recommend using 320-grit sanding cloth). Always sand along the grain. After sanding, treat the product with matte wood oil or wax. Let the oil impregnate for 10 minutes and wipe the rest off. Use a clean cloth along the grain to dry and polish the surface. You can also treat the product with matte wood oil or wax without sanding, but we recommend sanding because it cleans stains and small scratches and helps the oil or wax to absorb. 

 

 

Outdoor

All our outdoor products are made of PEFC-certified Finnish, heat-treated Lunawood ThermoWood® pine (pinus sylvestris). The heat treatment makes the furniture weatherproof, so no other surface treatment is required. If you wish, you can treat your Osa furniture with natural wood finishes for the exterior (such as decking oil), which can help keep the product clean. 

Pine will naturally change colour as it ages. Our outdoor products will start reacting with UV light very quickly and begin changing colour towards a beautiful silver tone nearly immediately once unboxed.

Stain removal

Remove stubborn stains or soil with water and a scrubbing brush. In case brushing with water does not clean the surface, you can also use patio and deck cleaners. Dry the surface after brushing to eliminate any remaining moisture.

Care

While we do not recommend it, as it can reduce the expected lifespan of the products, our outdoor products can be left outside once the terrace season is over. However, long-lasting direct contact with water must be avoided and we also do not recommend placing items on moist surfaces, such as lawn, for long periods at a time.

Once the products have been assembled, we do not recommend repeated disassembly and reassembly.

Lighting

Hans pendants are made from a combination of solid pine wood and pine veneer, and finished with a stain-resistant, water-repellent, matte wood oil (we use Osmo Color hardwax-oil 3062 matt).

Pine will naturally change colour as it ages. Our products will start reacting with UV light very quickly once unboxed and start changing colour towards a beautiful honey tone.

General cleaning

Pine veneer is a very delicate material. Carefully wipe the dust off the veneer with a feather duster.

Bulb replacement

Use an E27 max 60W bulb. We recommend using a bulb with 3000k color temperature, as it works beautifully with pine veneer.

Characteristics of our Pine

Pine is a very characterful material. As a result of the naturally occurring oils and resins, pine will change colour as it ages. Heartwood and sapwood will start aging at a different speed resulting in gorgeous stripy patterns. The colour will gradually even out and mature to a beautiful honey tone over the course of years. Pine is also a soft wood and so will naturally suffer some dents and scratches over time.

In Vaarnii products the realities of aging have been embraced rather than ignored: Our designers have considered the texture that will come from small dents, scratches, and naturally occurring cracks, and our customers are asked to expect and embrace this beautifully irresolute texture.

How does pinewood react to extreme temperature and moisture changes?

Pine deals with humidity and varying temperatures well. However, it does react to changes in humidity by expanding as moisture increases and retracing when air gets drier.

Changes in humidity may cause cracks in the wood in some Vaarnii products that have the largest profiles, such as the 004 Coffee Table, 005 Lounge Chair, 006 AA Bench, and 006 AA Side Table. However, we have taken this into account in our designs and made sure the products will not lose their structural rigidity.

During the hottest summer months, our largest profiles may also secrete resin. This is influenced by gravity, so resin drops should become visible only on the underside of products.

Our products are intended to last for several decades, and we are always happy to help if you have any questions about their care and maintenance.