ETHOS
Amber transforms discarded matter into unique sculptural creations that last forever.
Each new project emerges from noble materials that have already lived — historic architectural remnants, rare or discarded timber
lots, by-products of manufacturing processes.
The aim is not simply to recycle matter that is unsuitable for mass production, but rather elevate it into the realm of collectible
design.
This challenging undertaking requires not just refined crafting abilities in a vast set of fields but a continuous reinterpretation
and evolution of traditional design and manufacturing processes.
All unique creations have been conceived and crafted in-house since the project began more than a decade ago.
Unique Creation 163: Crushed oyster shells + reclaimed old oak base
ORIGIN
The birth of Amber is deeply tied to Cadiz – a city founded by Fenitians 3000 years ago that flourished in the 18th century during its golden age as a port to the Americas.
We began recovering magnificent structural timber beams from the ruins of historic buildings, whose character and quality had largely been overlooked.
Trying to find buildability and beauty beyond the layers of old mortar and paint that covered oversize massive wooden joists filled with nails forced us to expand, adapt and refine our creativity and capabilities.
Today, despite broadening our material spectrum and evolving on multiple fronts, recovered noble timber — particularly beams from historic buildings — remains the structural core of most Amber projects.
Recovering old structural beams from the ruins of an 18th century historic building in the City of Cadiz
EVOLUTION - ELEVATION
Beyond old wooden beams — which, even when heavily damaged are still close to the idea of usable material — our attention soon turned to the shavings and sawdust from our own making.
We produced bags of richly coloured fragments that felt impossible to discard. The challenge we set ourselves was not merely to reuse them, but to elevate these remnants of remnants into luxury matter.
Through research, integration and extensive practice, we developed new skills, new formulas and ultimately new capacities — generating peculiar textures and colours in beautiful shapes
that were structurally sound.
Contemporary alchemy at its finest.
Today, stone countertop offcuts, packaging cartons, mollusc shells and even used textiles have entered our material portfolio, giving rise to increasingly diverse, complex creations — all
unmistakably infused with the Amber DNA.
Our self developed recycled woodchip and shredded carton mortar was used on our UC85. An sculptural collaboration with internationally aclaimed artist Ruben Sanchez
THE SYMBOL
Prehistoric amber is fossilized resin that preserves organic life by suspending it in time.
That act of preservation inspired our name.
We thought it was a perfect analogy for our challenge of turning old beams with history into tables that would last a lifetime.
To bring this metaphor into physical form, each one of our creations carries a pine cone encapsulated in resin.
Integrated into the piece and always visible, it acts as a seal rather than an ornament.
A reminder of memory, continuity and permanence.
A reminder of memory, continuity and permanence.
FOUNDATION
Iñigo Calleja founded Amber more than 10 years ago from a simple and almost innocent challenge: making the most of the materials at hand — much like preparing a remarkable meal from what happens to remain in the fridge.
What began as curiosity soon became a journey of self-learning and entrepreneurship: understanding materials and craft processes deep enough to transform theoretically inferior matter into high-value unique creations.
The path could not have been more different from the 15 years this telecomms engineer spent working worldwide in large companies dedicated to the design and mass manufacturing of high-end automobiles — surrounded by resources, capital and structure.
Today, based on the sunny coast of Cádiz and surrounded by a diverse, detail-driven team, Amber enters a maturity stage, undertaking increasingly ambitious and meaningful creations.
Amber founder Iñigo Calleja, internationally seasoned engineer that started making things with reclaimed wood and it soon became his life project