Brothers Sam and Josh James are the faces behind bespoke furniture business James Squared. The company specialises in creating real wood furniture with a rustic, industrial look.
Osmo
A recent commission for a client was a large bespoke dining table, measuring an impressive 3.5 metres long by 1 metre wide. Sam says: “We were amazed by the proportions of this table but when we saw the property it all made sense! It was to be used in a large, contemporary, open-plan kitchen dining space, with wide bi-fold doors to the garden, which enables lots of natural light to flood into their property. The room gave us the perfect spot to show off our first ever table of this size.”
For this table, Sam and Josh used reclaimed scaffold boards for an industrial yet rustic look. The client wanted to keep the natural colour and enhance the grain of the wood. Having used Osmo products before, Sam and Josh tried some samples and recommended Osmo Polyx-Oil Clear 3032.
The product worked perfectly, and the client was pleased with the look obtained from the sample – and couldn’t wait to see the finished table.
Osmo Polyx-Oil delivers an extremely durable and hardwearing finish which is very water and dirt resistant. It is resistant to common liquid spillages, making it ideal for a dining table. The product enhances wood’s natural character and delivers a microporous, breathable finish which does not crack, peel or flake.
The team applied two coats of the clear Osmo Polyx-Oil with a brush. After the first coat, they lightly re sanded (by hand), cleaned and then applied the second and final coat. They sanded in between as the wood grain raises after the first coat, so this process really helped to get that perfect smooth surface.
Each scaffold board used in the table is a slightly different colour wood and the clear Osmo Polyx-Oil really emphasised this unique feature, helping to enhance the natural wood to give it the rustic, reclaimed look they were looking for.
The team faced several challenges with the project given the ambitious size of the table. They had to create large steel frames, which were needed as extra supports under the table top, to support the full length of the wood.
Despite this, the end result was worth it. Josh says:
“We are very pleased with the final outcome of this table, we learned a lot by making something this large! It will certainly help us going forward. The customer was extremely happy with the finish of the table and also ordered a shelf to match, which we also finished using Osmo Polyx-Oil. They love the natural colours and features of the wood and whilst it’s ‘clear’ it still gives that great protection from stains, wear and tear. We are huge fans of Osmo products as they are great quality, easy to apply and really do enhance the beauty of the wooden furniture we make.”
