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This past winter we had a great time researching and creating a special project for the boys at Artista Homes.  Once again they came up with the killer idea of a wine cave- which caused us to do nothing but say ‘ok, we’re in.’  It took quite a while to come up with just the right theme and strategy for the space, but with some expert help (yep, 2eperspectives.com) with lighting and layout I think we nailed it just fine.  Here’s a little look.  Note, the big beams are actually for a glass wall that will hold a refrigerated room to house the wine bottles at just the right temperature.  The large slab table is for wine tasting- of course.    I’ll post some pictures once the lights are hung and the house is finished.

Tatiana Crawford is an awesome gal who runs a wide open high, end salon on Corydon.  We got a call from her to chat about some floor finishes and settled on grinding and polishing.  We also acid stained some colour into it for effect.  Well, as we talked on, seems the lovely Mrs Crawford likes good design and nicer things- so we drew up some very interesting (read: cool) heavy wood product display shelving units, with white concrete shelves- that were polished to a brilliant shine.  As the space developed, I hooked her up with Amber Arlt from 2E perspectives- and that’s when things went a little nutty.  All of a sudden we were casting and polishing white concrete reception display desks with custom timber shelves- and glass italian tile, huge balls of yarn were hanging from the open ceiling (in leu of chandeliers) as wild lights, wood posts were used to create rooms, and walls were painted with metallic finishes………..  We became millworkers crafting custom cut baseboards out of huge douglas fir boards that had to be cut down in massive band saws and fabricated and milled to show the deep rich grains of the wood. The girls went curtain fabric shopping, and laughed and laughed and laughed…… Then we were crafting salon shelves around the cutting stations (again out of fir) and supported by white concrete gothic arched supports to add a touch of style to the situation.  In the end, it was a great time working with these chicks.  They have nice figured out- and that just makes you want to work harder-  and deliver more (like building some quick tables for the waiting room with left over shelves….:)  ). Am I going on and on and on??   This was one of those projects that was so much fun to work on, we’ll be talking about it for a very very long time.  Here,  check out this sequence:

Using the crappy old existing floor- complete with nail pops, cracks, mastic and tile thin set- this old space turned out quite remarkable and provided a super cool sustainable look yall.

here’s a cool project we just finished for a client: hand carved vertical concrete wall finish, with custom precast concrete stair inserts.  A great application for the perfect setting- and some very nice people that can hook you up with all your travel needs (river east travel).  Oh, did I just say that?……..I’ll plug any of the great people we work for……

“So, I’m doing a reno. People need to move in in one week and the concrete floors look pretty hack.  Can you re finish them?”

“Is that white cement?”

“Yes it is”

“You bet we can.”

“Sweet”

“Wait till we’re done…”

we poured and polished the Shriemers greenhouse floor opening this Spring!!!

So, we pour these floors for some cool people in a wicked character home that just happens to be timber framed.  The floors are upstairs and really play nicely with the wood features.  I make these craft sale thingy’s and the lady of the house says “Those concrete blocks look great!  Too bad the stairs can’t be made out of those (polished concrete).  Me: “I’ll see what I can do…”

Pretty happy with this actually

It’s always fun when you get to design the job from front to back!  Here we designed the floor finishes (ground, stained and polished), information/ check out desk, washroom wall finishes and sinks, coffee shop and tables, tables and more tables!!  We’re super pumped about this job- our first big adventure into polishing!  Look for more and more coming your way on these exciting new finishes- we’re doing them inside and out..Yeah man!!!

Seems the good folks over at the Winnipeg Zoo liked our presentation so much, that they offered us a job re doing the rock work and floors inside the Tropical House at the zoo this winter!  You know, you’re only as good as your guys and well….we’re all super pumped about this new project coming up, and I can say the boys knocked it out of the park making sure everything was just so: creating the right setting and samples for our good zoo buddies.  See, we didn’t do anything special, we really wanted them to understand how we roll.  It was a good time and helpful for us to understand who we are and what we do- by explaining it to someone else- and getting them to understand that we are cool with different and interesting.  We are now studying rock formations from certain parts of the world, water flows, rock types and cracks, crevices, weathering, erosion, mud banking…….. man I love my job!

HEY:

Thanks to everyone who called and wished me well during my injury.  Just to update you all a bit, Doc Johnson says no more neck brace- but no head locks either for 3 months.  A full recovery is expected and, yes, I’m very lucky and know it.  Thanks again everyone.  Nice to be back in action.  Laugh out loud, smiley winky face…..

Lets get this year finished off by looking after everyone and doing some super cool work.  Under promise and over deliver stuff.  Yeah, that’s it!

I don’t mind the food, and I know the decor rocks.  Since I pay when I eat at HU’s- and I’d recommend it to anyone- I’d say the writer is a goof.  He should probably not drink the waterfall water either.