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.