Oh those times...

Veronika Miller of Modenus is a Twitter friend (instigator) that has founded a series of “blog-offs”, in which several of us tackle a topic in our own inimitable manner and let the chips fall where they may. Crash. This is round two on the latest topic “Living Small”. Links to other posts are listed at the end of my humble contribution.

When I was an earnest young grasshopper, seeking knowledge at the universe’s knee, I wrote a column for a number of local weeklies entitled “Walking Softly”. This was in the late seventies – I was a late-blooming environmentalist and back-to-the-lander, enraptured by the discounted Sierra Club coffee table books from the Ballantine Press – lovely photographic journeys through our wild heritage interspersed with jeweled quotes from John Muir, David Brower, among others, and especially the Great Seer: Henry David Thoreau. I am still enraptured with H.D. Looking back at those days, I see the seeds of what I have become… pale shoots, striving for life-giving sustenance, stretching toward Something/Anything (oh yes, Todd Rundgren in Woodstock, NY), searching for the light. Those early roots are still there, bolstered by the accretions of time and experience, tempered and reinforced by exposure to “life” and its weathering forces. The essence of the plant remains true to its germination; the subsequent realization is a product of its environment and its innate strength of purpose.

The Book

I worked in a campaign for a candidate for US Congress from the state of Vermont in the late 1980’s; my back-to-the-land yearnings had led me here and I have never left this wonderful land of total acceptance and equally harsh realities. The hopeful’s name was Morris Earle and he was running on the Small is Beautiful ticket, derived from the writings of E. F. Schumacher. I still subscribe to that socio-political philosopher’s amazing pronouncements, on some deep gut level which occasionally rises to the fore and overwhelms my everyday preoccupations, even now. It just doesn’t go away. It is still relevant – perhaps even more so in these post-boom recidivist years.

What I am evolving toward (and yes, it is all about me, because I [the collective we] can only speak from what I personally know inside my own head) is a balance of views, perhaps heavily slanted in the “small” direction, and accepting the plentitude of humanity – a measure of encompassing grace – but landing unforgivingly inside the circle of our mother Gaia, the planet which gives all of us life and forgives so many grievances by her “most prescient” inhabitants. Basically: I can accept whatever you might choose to do, but don’t make a mess in your own bed.

in the sand, only...

I see it this way – and I am turning this homily on its head, which is my tendency if you know me: live LARGE and dwell SMALL Stretch yourself, go for the gusto, feel the beauty of all things bright and beautiful. Use only what you need, leave only footprints. Appreciate the fleeting, savor the gifts that drift your way. Quality over quantity. Remember to dance. Forget whoever may be watching. Let this be your guide: will you leave a flourish or a scar on the breast of mother Earth? This is not to say you cannot enjoy yourself while journeying through this expression of being – just have some respect. A lot of respect. Who do you think you are, anyway? You are a god, we are all gods – gods of small things and awesomely immense things – act like it.

Read more on the topic as my Twitter friends opine on the “Living Small” assignment:

Veronica Miller at Modenus, A Small Life is Good, but Slow Down to enjoy it!

Nick Lovelady at Cupboards Kitchen and Bath, Is Small Really Realistic?

Paul Anater at Kitchen and Residential Design, Is Living Smaller the new Living Large?

Rufus Dogg at Dogwalkblog, How Much Does It Cost You to Exist For One Hour? Size Matters

Saxon Henry at Chair Chick, Living Small (and Getting Shagged!)

Becky Shankle at EcoModernism,Is Living Smaller the New Living Large?

Sean Lintow Sr. at SLS Construction, Building Smaller- Is It the Next Big Thing?

With irreverent apologies to Joe Cocker – who lays that number down so smoothly (Ha! Joe and smooth in the same sentence)  that anyone would be dissuaded from total abandonment…

Base form ready to pour

When we create integral sinks in a single wet cast pour, that is, using a very flowable concrete which fills the form and self-levels, it is necessary to work with a form that is watertight and able to withstand the significant hydraulic pressure to which it is subjected. If you incur what is termed a “blowout” in the middle of a pour, it is difficult, if not impossible, to salvage the moment and all the effort of building that single-use mold is lost. Back to square one; not a pleasant situation and certainly not a profitable one to those in the biz. It has happened to everyone at some time. It’s a lesson which is learned rather quickly and stashed away in the “never gonna skip that step again” files…

Hat form in place atop base

When doing a three dimensional pour such as an integral sink bowl (or two!) built into a concrete countertop, a two part form is constructed. The lower form might be termed the base, the upper is often called a hat or cap form. Both are built carefully ahead of time, mated to each other and shaped/caulked/drilled so that they are completely ready to be pressed into service as the pour commences.  Nota bene: Wet concrete waits for no man – so there are no opportunities to insert a missing step while in the heat of the moment. The lower base form is filled with the fresh concrete to its upper edge, vibrated for consolidation and air removal, and the hat mold lifted into place and screwed down quickly. Then the sink cavity (all upside down and backwards remember!) is filled to its upper extremity, consolidated, and the pour is wrapped up. Performing this process with two discrete colors makes it even more challenging, as one need to be careful not to contact any errant surfaces which would muddy the transition. This creates a very unique look however, possible only with the dynamism of precast concrete. A current project (showcased here) was cast in a dark grass green pigment for the body of the concrete countertop and snow white rectangular sink bowls. Definitely NOT “off the shelf”.

Hat form's white concrete placed

The resulting bi-color casting

Recently we completed an interesting project (aren’t they all?) for a returning client, which is always a nice experience. They have a beautiful contemporary home which is set in the corner of a pasture edging the woods, overlooking a sweeping view of the Green Mountains and the East Branch of the Deerfield River Valley lying between. On the second floor of the house is a light-filled library area at the top of a striking steel and cherry staircase, angling up from the ground floor. In the corner of that room they had planned a small wet bar for coffee in the morning or evening drinks on the balcony deck which fronted the dramatic mountain ridge to the west. It was a very tight alcove, difficult to access comfortably, but it was in the right place for their purpose and needed a customized approach to utilize it to best advantage. Enter artisan concrete!

Inspiration cue

They showed me a ceramic bowl which could provide a color cue to start the project. We were off to a good start already – such a pleasure to collaborate with clients who understood the process from the get-go. It was a warm buttery yellow which would work well with the natural maple flooring and casings in the space; it also picked hints from the artwork hanging nearby. These are the factors that we look for in our work as concrete craftspersons (all PC now): what belongs here? What is the appropriate response?

The alcove in the corner

I wrestled with the intended installation spot: trying to come up with something that would fit and look as if it belonged there, not shoehorned into a compromised accommodation… I decided we needed some strong curves to soften the hard corners of the niche and to help make access to the sink comfortable, which would necessarily be pushed to the back of the space. We had to work with the fact that there was a mini-fridge under the top, which would interfere with drainage routing, if the top was to be mounted at a reasonable user height. (This is a graphic example of the sort of situations that come into play routinely during our design stages)

The solution

I designed a sink with the drain at the extreme rear of the bowl, so as to miss the appliance beneath as the piping exited. The faucet was tucked in tight to the rim so  that a coffee maker could be accommodated in the right rear corner. A scooped arc across the front allowed proximity for the user, and a shelf down the adjoining wall eased the transition from the room into the alcove.  I decided to use a hand-pressed concrete placement technique to give some variety of  texture against a solid wall and a little organic variability to the surface. There is a reason for everything when designing concrete – when the possibilities are limitless, it is important to know where your focus lies and follow through on the promise. And this is what resulted!

Details matter

Another concrete story, fittingly placed in a library. Different story, different conclusion. Happy endings.

Concrete contraption

I have plans. They’re not grandiose or even far-reaching. Some might characterize them as pedestrian. But at least they’re mine. Dream a little dream, said Mama Cass.

Well, I’ve been spending a little (very slight exaggeration) time out in blog world, reading my webby friends and acquaintances periodic  feats of penmanship, and thinking to myself (which is where I do most of my thinking, come to think of it) – “I need to do something a little more useful and expansive with this blog of Concrete Detail” or something along those lines. I have had some helpful and encouraging discussions on the subject with a few confidantes and we (the royal we) are in the early stages of reformatting and reformulating this mouthpiece of  concrete communication. I would like it to be not only a means of presenting the craft of concrete countertops, but a look around at some of the other topics that inform our day-to-day operations and also some of the more esoteric influences that might underlie the mindset of this individual artisan. Warning: still waters may run deep. Or not.

I like writing. So maybe this is just an excuse, a convenience of permission. There is a horde of technical necessities to wade through (this, for a member of the IT-illiterati), much less the always looming content issue – what’s the drivel du jour? – but we’ll cross that boondoggle when we come to it. OK – so there’s that. Tally-ho!

Once we create templates for a project on-site, we bring them back to the studio and translate the measurements, layouts, and notes into a three dimensional form to receive the concrete. The resultant countertop castings will follow the form details exactly – it is a literal translation of positive and negative. The result is completely dependent on the care invested in the preparation. This is a lesson you learn early in your concrete countertop career. Take your time, do it right: you only get one chance. It’s  an iteration of the old-school computing truism – GIGO “Garbage In, Garbage Out”. This is where forethought and planning, not to mention manual dexterity, come into strong play. Will that sink form’s shape release cleanly? Will the faucet handle clear the backsplash when actuated? Are the users right-handed or left-handed?

We do most of our wetcasting on sheets of 3/4 inch melamine coated particle-board. Nesting the required sections on the backer, placing the sink and faucet holes where they need to be – we do everything upside-down and backwards. This is a mind-bending exercise sometimes; there are moments when it is best to step back and take a deep breath, because the effort to re-do a mix-up is considerable at this point. Record-keeping and communication come into play here too: assumptions are a killer. This is why we require that all sinks and hardware be in our physical possession at the time of forming. Manufacturer’s specifications are usually reliable, but cannot be counted at all times. Products are revised, OEM vendors change, industry standards evolve. In the end, everything matters. Don’t Think, Know!

Yesterday we hopped in the van and ran up I91 to Hanover, NH for a consultation and templating appointment with a new client, a doctor in this beautiful university town with a world-class medical facility. Meaning Dartmouth  and Dartmouth Hitchcock, specifically… Rolling hills along the Connecticut River, venerable brick edifices and striking modern architecture denote this regional center of commerce and higher learning.

The good doctor is redesigning and renovating an apartment above his practice; one of the initiatives is a relocated and higher-functioning kitchen. Still very compact, the layout includes a raised eating bar, a dishwasher, an undermount sink, undercounter refrigerator and freezer drawers, and a slide-in gas range. Initially it was thought to  include a cast concrete farm sink, but in the interest of budget and size constraints, it was decided to go with a stainless steel zero-radius sink. The color decided upon is our “Cayenne”, a very warm (naturally!) bricky red with specks of black sand. The other colors in the kitchen will be built around this lead; the site-built cabinetry will have a painted finish and the walls and floor will follow suit.

Once a few of these “detail” decisions are made, it’s time to start the actual creation of the concrete countertops for the project. The first concrete (sorry) step is to pull templates from the site, in order to reproduce in our formwork the exact dimensions and relationships  for a perfect fit at installation. All of our castings are 100% formed; there is no machining other than polishing of the surfaces. It is a creative, additive process – not one of removing stock from a given slab and merely locating holes and edges. This is the thrill of the craft – envisioning something from nothing, or rather, from everything. We play the Creator, re-enacting Genesis in our small way.

Our templates are created using the old-school method: thin 3 inch strips of lauan plywood (a grade known euphemistically as “door skins”) are hot-glued together atop the installed base cabinets and/or half walls, following the walls and overhangs so a s to cretae a physical pattern that can be transported and used as a reference back in the studio. All pertinent information is noted directly on the templates such as finished edges, backsplashes, sink base restrictions, cantilevers, and the project name and date. Then they are carefully removed and placed in the van for the trip back to the shop, where we begin the steps to transform the two dimensional record into three dimensional sculpted sections. Here’s where a critical bit of process creeps in: remember to flip the template when building the matching molds! We perform what is known as reverse wet-casting (typically) and whereas the templates are made face-up, on the cabinets, the concrete is cast upside-down and backwards ( a running joke) and if this protocol is missed, all is in vain. Keeps you on your (steel) toes…

Goodness, where does the time go?   *mumbling*  “I’m late, I’m late – for a very important date!” – The White Rabbit.  And so, I return to the blog with an overdue post on our latest work (there’s been a slew of it lately):

We have just completed a seven foot long double bowl vanity for a home’s master bath in Wilmington, Vermont. The owners wanted to evoke a slightly woodsy feel with the room, which is set in the lushly forested foothills of the Green Mountains near a small lake. The walls are painted a leafy green; the cabinetry is constructed of maple stained with an orange-y finish; the ceramic tile floor is white. We decided to run with a neutral palette on the countertop and sink bowls, to calm the wash area and allow it to stand as an element on its own – not competing with the other colors present in the setting.

The top itself is cast in our “Bone” palette choice, which is what we have dubbed our natural white portland mixed with native sand and gravel – this throws the color of the pure white cement into a gray/tan off-white tone. The sink bowls (round vessels recessed halfway into the top to keep the finish height workable) are cast in “Fog”, which is a silver-gray shade with a slight touch of blue in it. The sinks were cast in a two part fiberglass mold in order to yield a finely finished interior and exterior, as both are visible. The forest theme is implemented with relief impressions of maple and oak leaves cast into the top, replete with veins and small undulations. The leaf images were the result of hand brushed latex copies of real leaves that had been cast in plaster to create a negative, which was then reversed using the rubber copy. The rubber makes a clean reproduction in concrete and releases easily when the forms are stripped to reveal the hardened concrete surface.

A last detail (another facet of the nature theme)  is the heavily ground edge of the top, the backsplash, and the sink rims. This exposes the native aggregate inside the concrete matrix to lend contrast with the more uniform polished planes and adds specks of color and shape to the strong geometry of the assembled installation. Setting the faucets off to the right side of the bowls allows easier access by the users and a welcome assymetry to the composition. The entire project is sealed with our new sealing system by Innovative Concrete Technologies, of which we are quite proud. It is a lithium silicate based treatment, which actually densifies the concrete surface to a point where it is difficult for liquids and staining agents to even penetrate the concrete. It is water-based and actually gains in effectiveness over time! Not sure I can make the same claim of myself…

Our local masonry supply store closed last fall after nearly 50 years of operation (if I recall correctly), victim of the economic blues and a multinational corporate parent bent on trimming away the marginal outlets. It was a sad day. The yard sat empty over the winter, full not with pallets of brick and block, bundles of #4 rebar, and assorted flue tiles, but with drifting snow, scuttling dead leaves, and blank windows. Then I received a postcard in the mail at the very beginning of March, announcing that Shanahan Construction Supply Company of Turner’s Falls, MA was buying the property, expanding the store, and re-opening on March 29th, reincarnating it as a new and improved version of its old self.

Being ever the opportunist, and always on the lookout for a public venue to showcase our craft, I beelined it down to the drab gray concrete block structure surrounded by chain link fence and sure enough, there was lots of activity. I went inside, promptly met the hardworking owner, Ted Whelan of Guilford, VT, congratulated him and made my proposal: “Wouldn’t it be great to have a custom concrete countertop at his checkout desk, for all the builders, and homeowners to ogle?” He agreed (Ted’s a nice guy) but said he was already talking to a bluestone supplier about that very thing. Ted also sells woodstoves and fireplace inserts, in addition to masonry, stone, tools, and landscaping materials,  so I  proffered something about future possibilities and took my leave.

The next day the phone rang. Ted had changed his mind and wanted to talk about taking me up on my idea. I scooted back down, got some quick numbers, and off we went, back to the shop – they were opening in less than three weeks!  The retail counter was a big ell shape, resting on a wood-framed half wall which would be veneered in stone as part of the display. I opined that it might be nice to have his company logo embeded in the top, a suggestion he liked a lot. We decided to work with the logo colors overall – a sage green background  with a dark red logotype. A heavy grind to expose aggregate and a grommet hole for computer cables were also requested. I decided to add some crushed amber glass at the 90 degree turn for sparkle, radius the three exposed corners for comfort, and a little shallow bowl depression for fun. The joint between the two 7 foot sections would be a “z” puzzle seam. It would be sealed with our new high performance reactive lithium sealer, to withstand the wear and tear of a building supply location.

A week and a half later, we carried in the finished countertop. Ted loves it, we love it, and his friends and customers love it. That’s what we like to hear! The new store opened March 29 th and we wish Ted all the best (and hopefully, some business coming our way!).

What can I say? Sometimes all you need is the simplicity of natural concrete to set off the gleam and pizzazz of uber-cool hardware. It works. My clients make me proud to be a part of their domestic visions – well, at least a part…

Please recall, dear reader, that our artisan concrete studio is located in southern Vermont, one of the smallest and most rural states in the Union – we are noted more for our cheese and moose than our taste in modern furnishings. And then along comes a concrete-inclined couple from Halifax, VT (population 792 in 39 square miles; 2000 census), living on a dirt road 20 miles from our shop, and plops a box with an deep, boxy Italian sink and a wicked cool German faucet setup in front of me, and says  “We need a bathroom vanity top!”. Of course.

These shots are from install day, which is our only chance to document our work most of the time unfortunately (the wall color in this little room was dominating, to say the least; the natural gray concrete top appears green! - I’m sure the clients will work out the balance as they begin to occupy the space). On these occasions, the lighting is usually poor, if not very incomplete; cabinetry is bare bones and lacking hardware; finish trim is missing; and all the little details that complete a living space are in absentia. We get the best images we can at the time; it is a work in progress and we move on to the next episode.

So, the walls are a deep orange (which re-tints everything in its glowing proximity) around the sink area and a soft purple gray (nice) in the bath area… there will be a full wall mirror over the vanity when complete and some funky Euro sconces flanking the alcove (once the contractor figures out to to adapt their svelte base plates to a hulking American wiring device box – good luck, sir!). You never know what lurks inside those walls: someone’s personal interpretation of a bathing retreat tucked into the hemlock and spruce forest along a muddy March road, replete with sap buckets and three foot snowbanks. But we do…

Yesterday we installed the Lake Champlain-inspired bartop in its intended home in Wilmington, Vermont; it “fit like a clock”, as a friend used to say, and the installation process went  quite smoothly and with dispatch. The thoughts behind the design elements incorporated in this highly figured piece were apparent once it was resting in the surroundings; all the colors, shapes, and features worked together to form an ensemble or collage that “belonged” in the owner’s beautiful new kitchen. And there’s the magic: it is all about the client, the environment, and the artisan’s interpretation of it all through the medium of concrete. Functional art: You have to see it to comprehend it.