March 25, 2011
Cheng Concrete have announced the winners of the 2011 Circle of Distinction Design Challenge at the Concrete Decor Show & spring training in Nashville, TN. Concrete Zen is pleased to announce that we have placed in two categories! We took Best in Category: Integral Sink and Honorable Mention: Decorative Finish. Cheng Concrete Exchange started The Circle of Distinction Awards in 2005 to award members for extraordinary craftsmanship, creativity, and innovation. Ninety-seven entries were evaluated by three judges, Cheng, Dan Gregory, editor-in-chief of Houseplans.com, and designer Robert Brunner, former Director of Industrial Design at Apple Computer. Concrete Zen’s projects that won top accolades were an incline sink installation in Shadyside, and a custom countertop staining. We are extremely honored and excited to be recognized at one of the industry’s premier events! Check out photos of the winning projects!
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March 19, 2011
Concrete Zen recently completed a unique project in the Upper Saint Clair area. A concrete overlay was laid over a 900 square foot area of glazed ceramic tile that included the foyer, hallway, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, and laundry areas. The floor had to be prepared by profiling and applying specialty primers before the leveler could be installed. The floor was stained with a semi-transparent water stain that transitioned organically from a deep brown the foyer area into a golden brown hue in the kitchen. Nicole and Toni then completed the stenciling of the Modello carpet shown above in the foyer area, and the Fleur de Lis in the kitchen. Check out the Fleur de Lis and a few other photos from the project below!
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March 6, 2011
Concrete Zen created this one-of-a-kind concrete sink for a client in the Shadyside area of Pittsburgh, PA as a part of a complete renovation in the summer of 2010. The sink’s faucet is placed on the right wall shown above, allowing water to cascade down the sloped surface to the drain shown to the left at the base of the sink for a truly exceptional design. This custom incline sink is paired with a stunning glass faucet designed by a small company specializing in custom faucets. The combination of this custom sink and faucet create the complete unique and luxurious statement that the client was looking for. These striking photographs were taken by Barry Simpson of Simpson Studios in Pittsburgh, PA.
March 3, 2011
Concrete Zen was commissioned to work on an historical project in Pittsburgh, PA. The project involved some bathroom remodeling which included matching the home’s Cherokee red floors. These red floors are a signature style of Frank Lloyd Wright, and those who have designed under the same school of architecture. The house we had worked in was the Lipkind House, recognized in 1989 by Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. The house was designed by Peter Berndtson, an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright. The floor was finished in 1954 by using a color hardener troweled in by concrete finishers. The control joints we cut had to match the pattern of the house, which was designed in segments of a circle - no square edges, and enlarging gradually from the epicenter of the house. These joints were cut in by using special tools designed by Engrave a Crete. The texture was completed with an overlay modified by polymers, and a mix of integral reds using steel trowels my great Uncle Dan may have used. The finish was a combination of water based concrete stain and pigmented sealers to match the worn appearance of years of wax maintenance. This step was completed by Nicole Santella, as she tuned out the distractions, myself included, and tuned into her iPod. The clients were happy, and so were we!
