James Tatham grew up only a few miles from his new shop in Altrincham town centre – but the unique reclaimed teak wood used to build his stunning furniture has travelled much further.
Around 8,000 miles to be precise, originating in deepest Indonesia before being reclaimed by local craftsmen and recreated as tables, beds, chairs, bookcases and more.
You only need to step inside Ombak, Tatham’s first physical shop after four years as an online-only brand, to understand why it calls reclaimed teak “the ultimate wood”. It’s the look of it, the smell of it, the feel of it, and the sense that each individual piece has a story to tell.
“It’s not harvested pine,” says the former Manchester Grammar School pupil. “It’s one of the very best woods you can get. You could be sitting on something that is 200 years old.”
Tatham’s own journey to Stamford House, the stunning Edwardian building on Moss Lane where Ombak is now located, actually began out of a desire to set up a business to suit his free-spirited and wandering lifestyle.
Travelling for three years in the late 2000s, his love of surfing saw him return again and again to a handful of Indonesia’s 18,000 islands. It was there he came across reclaimed teak, eventually discovering a “little workshop in the middle of nowhere” where native craftsmen used traditional methods to turn it from its used state into a beautiful range of furniture.
“The product really appealed to me because it’s unique,” says the 33-year-old, who now lives in Hale. “It’s a very slow-growing hard wood which has then been further aged during its use, a real contrast of modern designs and old wood, with loads of character. You can see all the signs of previous use which is what truly makes it different. Every piece really does tell a different story.”
That previous usage could mean anything from houses and government buildings to bridges and harbours. Most structures in Indonesia used to be made out of it, in fact, before more modern materials were introduced and the teak dismantled. As such, there’s no deforestation involved in sourcing the wood for Ombak’s products.
After shipping a container’s worth of furniture back to England, Tatham launched Ombak – Indonesian for “wave” – online, and he remains the UK’s sole importer for the product. The retail store, he says, is a “natural progression” for the business and houses a small sample of the range he has available to order online.
A key part of the business is the bespoke side, and any designs for both customers and commercial can be accommodated. Ombak recently supplied 45 custom coffee tables to a boutique hotel in Portugal, which Tatham says was one of his proudest moments.
“You have to buy into the ethos of the company,” he adds. “Not only is the furniture itself stunning, you’re actually supporting a rural community of traditional craftsmen and making a truly ethical purchase.
“I truly believe in the product, and anyone who sees it, loves it.”
Ombak is located at 13 Moss Lane, Altrincham, WA14 1BA, or you can see the collection online at http://ombakfurniture.com/.
