Hardwood Floors October/November 2025

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“This version of ‘The Night Watch’ is a stage. People stand on it and share something with the world,” Woudenberg explains. So far, “The Night Watch” has only been shown in Dutch locations. His goal is to take it international and find a way to bring it to the United States for wood flooring professionals to see and be inspired.

“The Night Watch” in Wood (Continued from page 15) “I think it’s important because craftsmanship is under pressure everywhere. People still say, ‘no way, you

don’t want to work with your hands, do you?’” says Woudenberg. “I find parquet craftsmen are incredibly creative people. We constantly solve problems and take pride in what we make. That’s true not just here in the Netherlands, but worldwide. What we do is special – we literally lay the world under people’s feet.” At 390 cm high by 500 cm wide, the finished product ended up larger than the original Rembrandt and shows sections that were once cut off the painting. The entire process took Woudenberg four years to complete, and it was unveiled in the spring of 2025 at Amsterdam Amstel Station. “This version of ‘The Night Watch’ is a stage. People stand on it and share something with the world,” he explains. “Some people are afraid to stand on it. They ask me how I will hang it on the wall. It’s a floor, so it lies on the ground. You may stand on it, you may touch it. This is not about Rembrandt or ‘The Night Watch.’

It’s about connection, craftsmanship, creativity, youth, adventure, and being seen.” So far, “The Night Watch” has only been shown in Dutch locations. Woudenberg’s goal is to take it international and find a way to bring it to the United States for wood flooring professionals to see and be inspired. “If I can encourage my colleagues worldwide to think more outside of the box and create more beautiful floors, I will gladly do so,” says Woudenberg. “We have an amazing craft, and anything is possible. That’s what I want to show.” A masterpiece first dreamed of 25 years ago is now a reality.

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