Berlin Couple Builds Café Around Handcrafted Wooden Furniture

When you walk into a space where every surface tells a story—where no two tables match, where wood grain, cracks, and imperfections are celebrated—you’re not just in a café. You’re inside a living workshop. That’s exactly what Alex and Katja, a Berlin-based couple famed for their handcrafted wooden furniture, have created. But how did two furniture makers end up running a café filled with their own designs?

In short: they found an old building in Berlin’s Mitte district, negotiated its lease for six months, and transformed the space using only their own wooden furniture and designs—no extra decor needed. The result is a working showroom and café in one.

The Designers Behind the Café

Alex and Katja gained attention after crafting a single raw wood table that caught the public’s eye. That led to the founding of their studio, buchholzberlin, a Berlin-based workshop with over ten artisans dedicated to hand-finishing solid wood furniture. Their signature style? Letting the wood speak for itself—preserving natural colors, shapes, grains, cracks, and even corrosion.

Their furniture isn’t made to look perfect. Every piece embraces the raw material: tables aren’t fully edge-glued, legs are slightly offset, and surfaces show the wood’s life. This aesthetic carries straight into their café space.

The Building with History

The café is housed in a centuries-old building in a quiet Berlin alley. Once a ballroom entrance, a tobacco shop, and even a nobleman’s villa, the property had been empty for almost a decade. Its longtime owner, a woman who had lived in the U.S. for years, was hesitant to rent it out. After half a year of discussions, Alex and Katja finally took over the space.

The building is believed to be one of the oldest in the area. Its past lives add to the café’s unique atmosphere, blending history with modern craftsmanship.

The Café Space: Furniture as the Décor

Rather than adding decorative elements, the couple filled the space with their own creations. Each table is distinct, paired with white walls for contrast. The chairs, tables, and even dishware remain true to their studio’s philosophy: natural wood, untouched finishes, and visible wear. Nothing is hidden.

All the furniture is for sale—either in the café or via their website. Every piece is designed to be used, lived with, and appreciated as part of daily life.

The Food & Experience

The café doesn’t have a kitchen of its own. Instead, it partners with nearby shops to bring in prepared foods. They also use fresh garden produce and fruits to create seasonal dinners. The outdoor courtyard, in particular, becomes a vibrant extension of the indoor space—colorful, alive, and constantly in use.

The original owner still visits often, joining Alex and Katja for relaxed moments in the garden. It’s a meeting point of old and new, of craft and community.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are Alex and Katja?

Alex and Katja are a Berlin-based couple who rose to prominence after creating a single raw wood table that gained widespread attention. They later founded buchholzberlin, a studio of over ten craftspeople focused on hand-finished solid wood furniture that celebrates natural textures, including cracks and corrosion.

What is buchholzberlin?

buchholzberlin is a Berlin workshop creating handcrafted solid wood furniture. The team emphasizes preserving the natural appearance of wood—grain patterns, colors, cracks, and even decay—rather than adding artificial finishes. The studio has over ten members working collaboratively.

Where is the café located?

The café is located in a historic building in a small alley in Berlin’s Mitte district. The building is one of the oldest in the area and has previously served as a ballroom entrance, tobacco shop, and noble villa.

Did they renovate the entire café themselves?

Yes. The couple used only their own handmade wooden furniture and designs to furnish and decorate the café. There was no additional décor added—the furniture itself serves as the interior design.

Is the furniture in the café for sale?

Yes. All tables, chairs, and dishware are made by buchholzberlin and are available for purchase either in the café or through their online store. Each piece is designed to be functional and long-lasting in everyday settings.

Does the café have its own kitchen?

No. The café partners with nearby food vendors to supply prepared dishes. They also use fresh ingredients from their garden to create meals, especially for dinner service.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Wood-Fired Cafés

For a café like Alex and Katja’s, where natural textures and craftsmanship take center stage, we recommend FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Yirgacheffe for its bright citrus and floral notes, perfect for pour-over; the Brazil Queen Manor for a nutty, chocolatey espresso base; and the Kenya Little Tomato for juicy acidity and wine-like complexity. These beans highlight the care in preparation, much like the care in their wooden designs. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.