We installed the complete new set of concrete countertops, replete with a concrete sink for an iced product display, last night. Flipping the restaurant overnight made for an interesting but rewarding experience for Concrete Detail. The rest of the crew on hand were extremely competent and friendly, so the evening proceeded apace. Fixtures were fabricated and installed by Vermont Store Fixtures of Danby, VT of cherry veneered ply to fit the space and the store’s requirements. Owner Richard French was on hand, supervising and jumping in with cordless screwgun in hand as needed, and helping the turnover to stay on track. It is Richard’s commitment to local community and sustainability that brought us into this project in the first place, and we thank him for adding us to the team and look forward to many more fruitful and creative opportunities to partner with him and Works Bakery Cafe!

We have installed the two-tone concrete farm sink with the branched integral drainboard and the acid-stained vanity with built-in ramp sink, both for the same client and both looking fantastic in situ. Every project is new and different when you are crafting artisan concrete and that’s why we like being in the concrete countertop business!

We just received some pictures of a project in which we had a bit part awhile back. Working with Antoine Guerlain, a masonry heater craftsman, we created some custom formwork so that he could cast some integral parts for a masonry stove in Montpelier, Vermont. He forwarded some shots of the work underway; one of the bare bones core and another of the (nearly) completed installation. Nice work! These wood-fired traditional heaters are becoming more popular as the cost of fossil fuel rises and home owners are becoming more conscious of their energy consumption patterns. They provide a warm hearth for the modern home, restoring some of the soul and comfort so often lacking in  today’s residences. And showcase the work of a true artisan, working natural materials with hand and heart…

If you are intrigued, please contact Concrete Detail and we will put you in touch with Antoine and his fellows!

The latest integral concrete countertop and sink ensemble we have been working on is nearly complete, but for the installation (tomorrow!). Cast in natural gray portland (with flyash and VCAS, of course: our standard sustainable mix recipe), it was acid-stained in two different shades applied judiciously and allowed to blend and flow. Always a somewhat random process (which is the beauty of it after all), we choose the components and process and set the wheels in motion, never knowing exactly what may result. But it’s always good….

We sealed the piece over the weekend with our StoneLok sealing system, stain-proof and maintenance-free. Installation is set for Wednesday and this latest example of Concrete Detail’s “art-formed” will be put to good and appreciated use in its home…

Concrete Sink Demolded

We just demolded the latest concrete countertop creation – a large shallow sink  to be used as an iced beverage display in a full remodel at a well-known eatery in Manchester, Vermont: Works Bakery Cafe. We are creating all the worktops and service counters, as well as the cafe tables and the aforementioned ice bin display. Half of the new tops are wetcast and the other half are hand-pressed for a tone-on-tone effect (a la my good friend Buddy Rhodes. There is a total of about 20 pieces in the whole project, a big job for us, but worthwhile.

Works Bakery Cafe has a strong affirmation to utilize sustainable building practices and materials in all of its retail outlets, as part of its corporate commitment to environmental and social responsibility. Cast elements created by Concrete Detail and used in the Manchester store are a part of that philosophy; they are locally hand-crafted using regionally obtained raw materials, they are naturally inert surfaces which incorporate recycled content in their makeup, they are formed and cast specifically for the restaurant’s applications with no wasted material in fabrication, and they are custom designed especially for the task, so they are an environmentally sound, appropriate solution for the project.

More to come!

E-correspondence is amazing and terrifying, all at once. We’ve been working at forging connections and expanding our presence, amateur SEO-types that we are, and the effect is palpable. Talk about ripple effect!  We are aiming to connect with other concrete countertop artisans and anyone interested in the same: designers, architects, specifiers, kindred craftsmen, and the like. Dilettantes and hoi polloi need not apply. We are Twittering and we are LinkedIn; we are blogging and we are surfing; and we check our e-mail like nobody’s business. Let’s hook up!

The ramp sink and top form posted a few days ago is well underway now – we are polishing and filling as needed, prior to acid-staining the natural gray portland concrete castings. Looking good – wait ’til the color treatment is applied! Backsplashes are temporarily stood in place for the photos to give the full effect…

A little instructional here: This demonstrates the forming process for an integral sink and vanity top for a client for whom we are also creating a kitchen ensemble…

A ramp-style sink plug is created with MDF and resin for the sink bowl; a small piece of shaped acrylic sheet forms an inclined soap recess in one corner. At the far end is a foam knockout to incorporate a built-in towel bar, saving space elsewhere in the bathroom and lending another custom touch to the latest  piece of functional art to come from our studio. Recycled crushed amber glass will be broadcast in a swath at one end for a little sparkle, blending with the green and brown acid-staining that will highlight this one-of-a-kind concrete countertop and sink for a special home right here in Brattleboro, Vermont.

We are well underway with another local kitchen remodel project: concrete countertops and a concrete farm sink, fully integrated with a cool branching drainboard and soap recess. We performed another first with this undertaking – a simultaneous layered wet pour in two different colors: our “Night” and “Cayenne” shades. As expected, there is bleeding at the freeform interface where the pigments meet, in a very dynamic and organic manner. This is another example of the design possibilities of artisan concrete countertops and elements, made by hand and heart for the individual.  The photos above show the freshly demolded piece, ready for curing and processing in a few days…