Using Concrete for Interior Applications

Concrete is an extraordinary material that is practical- expressive- and aesthetic all at once. From a primal and formless slurry- you can transform it into virtually any shape that becomes a solid mass. The possibilities for creative expression are endless. You can grind- polish- stamp- or stain it. You can embed meaningful objects within it.

Concrete has substance and mass- permanence and warmth. It feels earthy- and is at home in both traditional and modern settings. It assumes forms that irrevocably touch our daily lives-bridges- highways- floors- walls... even countertops. Concrete is also surprisingly tactile. Cast and shaped- it can feel like stone rounded by the sea. Textured and colored- it can echo the patina of timeworn tile.

Home Family

Using Concrete for Interior Applications
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It first occurred to me to make a countertop out of concrete in 1985- when a friend and I were hired to design and renovate a professor/' s house in the Berkeley Hills. He gave us a modest budget and announced- "This is all I can afford to spend; do whatever you want." Armed with this rare creative license (and plenty of youthful exuberance) we aimed to be as innovative as possible.

This invitation to imagine- play- and explore inevitably led me to experiment in my own kitchen- where concrete and I began what is now our nearly two-decade dance. My first countertop was a single piece containing 11 cubic feet of concrete. It weighed nearly 1500 pounds and took 10 people-and 2 engine hoists-to turn it over once it had cured. We barely managed it- but the piece came out beautifully and is still being put to good use today.

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Because of its adaptability- concrete finds itself welcome in all areas of the home- especially in the kitchen and bath- but also in fireplaces- patios- garden paths- or water features. Concrete can also be used as a floor material with enormous creative advantages whether seeded- stained- stamped- broomed or diamond-finished. It can be a sole performer or play the supporting role to tile- mosaics- decorative aggregates- stone- wood- or metal. It is inexpensive- durable- noncombustible- impervious to decay- and also very effective for passive solar gain in the right application.

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With vertical treatments- concrete gives us an opportunity to recapture some of the feeling of the monolithic wall-the feeling of substance- of protection. Walls are also a great place to explore form. A wall doesn/' t have to be flat or straight- but can curve and undulate. It can be textured to be rough as stone or smooth as glass.

Surrender to the impulse... carve your initials in concrete.

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Using Concrete for Interior Applications