Osmo Finished Furniture

At Bombora Custom Furniture, we honour our native Australian timbers by using a natural timber finish that brings out the organic beauty of the wood rather than hiding it with a stain.  Osmo is a natural oil and wax finish that is hard-wearing and non-toxic whilst being easy to maintain. 

Osmo is a combination of natural oils and waxes that is applied to timber to protect it from stains, moisture and discolouration from UV light. Without a finish applied to timber, it will absorb spills, grey off and crack over time. 

Why Osmo?

A natural-looking finish

An advantage that Osmo has over many other furniture finish products is that it enhances rather than distorts the natural tones of the timber.   It creates a wet look, that magnifies the feature and sharpens the grain lines.  On all of our furniture, unless otherwise requested by our clients, we use the Matte Osmo Polyx product with no sheen. 

A natural-feeling finish 

Touching the timber of your furniture should be an enjoyable tactile experience. Osmo is a product that sinks into the timber rather than creating a layer over the top. When the finish is touched, it feels silky with the texture of the timber coming through rather than plastic.

A non-toxic finish

Once dry, the Osmo finish is safe for humans and animals and is even suitable for children's toys which is vital for items such as a dining table. It is a low VOC product so will not pollute the air in your home.

A hard-wearing finish

Osmo is a product that is a combination of plant-based oils and waxes.  The oils penetrate the timber for nourishment whilst creating a deep layer of protection.  The waxes sit on the surface to create a breathable layer that is resistant to water and stains such as wine, coffee and juice. The breathable nature of the finish is vital for the health of the timber and its ability to adapt to the changing moisture content levels in the air.   

A fixable finish

Furniture is meant to be used not just looked at and so will inevitably get a scratch or two over time.  An advantage of an Osmo finish is that it is renovatable.   In the case of a minor scratch, an application of the liquid wax cleaner or polyx oil will make it disappear before your eyes.  In the case of more major damage, the scratched area can be spot sanded and the finish re-applied.  With other finishes such as a 2-pack polyurethane finish, the whole piece would need to be sanded back and refinished.  

An easy-care finish

Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed not spent polishing your furniture. In an average home, a high-use surface such as a dining table only needs a reapplication of the Liquid Wax Cleaner approximately every 3 months. This product is simply wiped onto the surface with a cloth. 

The timber should only be cleaned with Wash and Care, a product developed by Osmo to clean the surface whilst protecting the finish.  This is a concentrated product that needs to be diluted into a spray bottle and used as often as desired to clean the surface. These products are both available separately or together in the maintenance kit and can be seen in use on this blog post.  For more information on how to maintain your Osmo finished timber furniture, click here.

To stain or not to stain... 

When picking out or designing a new piece of timber furniture, the colour is a vital factor in that choice.  We know that with the proper advice on timber, you will be able to achieve the look and tones you desire for your home without using a stain!  We advise against using a stain as it will affect the longevity of the piece by wearing unevenly over time or changing colour with exposure to sunlight. If damage does occur to the surface, having a stain applied to the timber may make the surface much more difficult to repair.