Archival Pigment Print

Here's the story of our Archival Pigment Print. This print is called "Echium". The Echium is a genus of 60 species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae. The particular species we're using in the original concrete table is called Echium pininana and like many of these towering cultivars produces a dramatic flowering spear over 12" tall. We started our plants from seed obtained from this fantastic seed company called J. L. Hudson, Seedsman. These plants will self seed after established to produce through natural selection even hardier plants.

The original concrete top was made by casting the leaves directly into the top. The detail was astounding and we decided to create with the help of a professional photographer with a very specialized camera a copy of the table top. The photo is then printed with a printer that produces Archival Pigment Prints on durable canvas and can be purchase either as is or pre-stretched on heavy duty stretcher bars.

To purchase this limited edition of 5 prints you can either go to our web site holmeswilson.com or etsy. The print sells for $500.00 plain or $750.00 stretched.

Holmes Wilson Wax

IT'S HERE!
You can now purchase Holmes Wilson Wax on line. Our wax is solvent free and nontoxic. This is the same products we've been making and using for years on our concrete tables. Use our wax to maintain the look and stain resistance of your Holmes Wilson Tables.
To use our wax simply use a clean rag, rub some on the rag from the can then in circular motions spread a thin layer with a little pressure onto the concrete. Wait 15 minutes then buff with a clean rag.
Purchase today at tables.etsy.com or holmeswilson.com

A Greener Concrete

Our goal for our table business is to produce a greener product. What is truly green ? What is totally green? It's a challenge for any business but it's necessary and urgent especially when climate change is inevitable particularly if we don't change our habits and attitude toward the possibilities.

One of the materials we use in our tables extensively is concrete. Concrete you say, how's that close to being green? Well the best way for us to produce concrete in a greener way is to eliminate a certain percentage of cement in our products and in particular in our actual concrete mix.

One way we've managed to reduce the carbon footprint of our concrete products is through the addition of a material called pozzolan. The first pozzolans were used by the Romans to make cement from burned limestone and Santorum earth from volcanic eruptions. These ancient concrete mixes were extremely durable and many architectural elements still survive today.

Today Pozzolan is a "green" construction material made from industrial by-products that help contribute to the sustainability of cement and concrete. Pozzolans use in concrete replaces an equal amount of cement resulting in energy conservation and emission reduction from cement manufacturing.

To sum things up, our concrete products are 50% greener than if we were just using a standard concrete mix and we are constantly striving to improve those percentages and create greener, sound, durable, and aesthetic products for our customers.

Future Products of Holmes Wilson Tables

Pamela and I have been creating our one of a kind tables for over 14 years now and collaborating for 30 years.
We constantly strive to improve our products. Not only are we focused in on the integrity of them but also the green aspects.

We're currently in the process of developing a green concrete product. We're developing a new concrete product that will be 100% green. This new product will include Magnesium which was used prior to the development of cement in the same way. It is the ninth most abundant element on the planet. As we research and develop it I will keep you up to speed as to when these products will be available.

Another product we plan to start selling is our own wax sealer. In the past we have recommended any clear paste wax to maintain our tables but we've always used our own wax recipe for the final sealer. Most wax products contain toxic solvents that off-gas and can be highly irritating particularly when used indoors. Our wax will contain no petroleum distillates and will be totally non toxic. This wax will be available direct from us at www.holmeswilson.com

Track this blog for updates about these new products!