By building things properly, we encourage a non-disposable approach to the objects we possess. Our methods of construction stem from traditions that have allowed furniture to last generations. To make sure your furniture lasts a lifetime, you need to do your bit to care and maintain it.
Care & Maintenance
- Wipe up any spills immediately - do not allow them to sit.
- When wiping up spills, use a lightly damp cloth - but avoid saturating the surface.
- Do not use detergents, abrasive cleaning agents, scourers or solvents to clean as they can strip and mar the finish.
- As a rule, if something is too hot to hold, it is too hot to be on your table-top.
- Wipe dust off regularly with a dry cloth.
- Coasters can increase the lifespan of your finish considerably, especially with hot mugs or vases.
- Be careful when moving furniture as you can expose it to stresses that it was not designed for - particularly avoid dragging.
Understanding timber as a natural, living material
The timber in your furniture was once in a living tree - most of our timber is sourced from managed Victorian and Tasmanian forests, so most likely the tree grew not far from where you are now. Understanding that your timber is a living product that needs to be cared for will go a long way to ensuring your piece of furniture will last for generations.
A second and very important part of understanding solid timber furniture is appreciating that aging is part of its beauty, like an heirloom piece your grandparents may have handed down. In time (several years), your timber may slowly change colour. It will soften and patina over the years with the touch of hundreds of hands and legs - this is part of the beauty of the piece and should be worn as the story of its life.
Environmental effects on timber
Timber is a product that naturally contains moisture within. When a tree is cut down a tree is full of moisture. In order to prepare it for being used for furniture it is air or kiln dried to reduce the amount of moisture. When we deliver a piece of furniture to you, it has reached a moisture equilibrium. Timber always moves a little between summer and winter as the moisture in the air changes (like that pesky door or window that always gets stuck over the winter). A little movement can never be avoided - however exposure to greatly fluctuating temperatures and moisture variation can cause the piece to drastically or unevenly change its moisture content, which can cause movement or surface cracking and can reduce the lifespan of your furniture. Our furniture is designed for a typical domestic environment. Take care with excessive underfloor heating, and avoid placing your furniture directly next to heaters, fireplaces or over air conditioning ducts, as these will have the tendency to cause timber to dry out. Exposure to direct sunlight over a long period can not only change the moisture content, but also change the colour of the timber over time. Our furniture is designed for use within a typical enclosed building, not outside.
Finish
All of our products are finished with Osmo Hardwax oils, which are an environmentally-friendly, non-toxic yet robust natural finish from Germany. Unlike lacquer finishes which are both bad for the environment and difficult to repair after damage, Osmo oil can be reapplied and spot repaired.
Refer to the Osmo Australia website for more information about Osmo oils.
Australian Timbers and their character
Australian timbers are extremely beautiful and hard-wearing (and hard on our blades!). The Australian timbers we use are locally-sourced, come from managed forests, and are fast growing. We love to use them. They come with many features that are distinctly Australian in character that we value. Most Eucalypts will contain gum veining, and some will have signs of pin-hole borers which might have burrowed in at some point during the trees life (and are long gone!). Generally we do not fill these features as we find them to be a critical part of the story and identity of the wood.