Osmo UK and bespoke European oak flooring specialist, ESCO have an established partnership, creating a collection of solid oak flooring pre-finished with Osmo’s celebrated wood finish, Polyx®-Oil. Here, Osmo talks to Sue McGovern, who started her ESCO flooring journey by having it installed in her home and resulted in her selling it by working at WilliamRose & Company.
How did you find out about ESCO?
Our existing floor was very damaged and desperately needed replacing. After noticing that a friend of ours had original wooden flooring, we decided that this historic look was something that we wanted to recreate in our own home.
We drove past WilliamRose & Company on the way home one day – they had just received a delivery of ESCO flooring and it was exactly what we were looking for. The boards were natural and authentic looking, very different to the lacquered wooden floor we had been shown previously. The ESCO flooring felt like wood, and with its Osmo hard-wax oil finish and knots, it was exactly what we wanted.
We chose the Moravia smoked white boards; I like how the smoked boards bring up the different shades within the wood. Initially, we decided to do the kitchen, then this turned into the lounge…we are now four years down the line now and are considering the upstairs. It was a big decision, but they say that wooden flooring is the biggest piece of furniture you will ever own, and at the end of the day, we have something bespoke that nobody else has.
And this became the start of my journey to work at WilliamRose & Company.
Explain why you began working at WilliamRose & Company?
When we purchased our ESCO flooring, I was not only impressed by the product itself, but I was taken aback by the bespoke service that they provided us. When the opportunity arose to work here, I jumped at it.
Visiting the factory in the Czech Republic was amazing, seeing the workers manually operating the machines before carefully wiping away any smears or excess product, it really puts emphasis on the personalised aspect. Even the paper labels that accompany the boards are hand-written and unique to each order.
Care is priority at WilliamRose & Company. The moisture content of the wood is so carefully controlled. Unlike some other suppliers, there isn’t a long chain and the flooring comes direct. As a customer, you are receiving something that has been cared for, you are buying in to that and it makes it worth the money.
What is it about William & Rose that stands out?
WilliamRose & Company are the longest established Esco dealer in the South West of England, specialising in the supply, installation and restoration of wooden flooring throughout Frome, Bath and the South West. Offering an unrivalled selection of real wood and wood effect flooring, the company offer hundreds of beautiful floors that have been carefully selected from various suppliers known only for their quality and attention to detail.
The installation fitters understand that only the best is good enough. So, whether a bespoke parquet floor in a private client’s home or a large planked floor for a commercial contractor, WilliamRose & Company only use the best materials and a combination of both traditional and modern installation techniques.
At WilliamRose & Company, you can be assured that you are working with a company who care about the flooring and the happiness of our customers. We want our customers to get it right, therefore we don’t rush them – we allow them to take home samples and spend as much time as they need looking at the different options available, advising them when we can. Unlike other retailers, our sample boards are large, this allows the customer to take them home and experience how the floor will look and feel in their home against their existing interior.
From my own experience of dealing with the company (before I began working there), I can confidently say that when it comes to aftersales, if there is a problem, it will be sorted. In terms of care and maintenance, we find that it’s easy with Osmo Wash and Care!
To learn more about the ESCO flooring range and view the complete product range on offer at Osmo UK, at osmouk.com. To find out more about William & Rose, visit: thewoodenflooringstudio.co.uk