I Can't Believe It's Concrete

I was a bit behind on a very special job for a friend of ours who was opening an upscale/funky store and coffee bar. I had been commissioned  to make an "industrial chic," curved coffee bar from concrete. To get things done on time, I enlisted Alison's help - things always seem to turn out better when she is involved. At the end of the pour - while I was doing the finish troweling - Alison asked what we should do with a bit of left over concrete. I suggested that she make "something" with it.  Interesting things happen when you give a potter who is accustomed to throwing thin, consistent pots on a wheel - a steel salad bowl for a form, a blob of wet concrete and some time. Frankly...the results are remarkable. Alison made this bowl... it is thinner than concrete is 'supposed to be', it has mother of pearl inlaid in a way that would 'normally' not work and the edge is not even. Under the circumstances, Alison had no expectations when she started this piece...the results really didn't matter. Imagine my surprise when I de-molded the bowl the next morning and uncovered a thin, beautiful, work of art. It took a bit of filling and polishing to get it into "display" condition, but the results are simply stunning. When polishing the bowl, I asked Alison if she wanted me to cut down the rim for an even edge, after a quick look, Alison suggested that we leave it "live"....it turned out to be a good decision.

It is interesting to see how people respond to this bowl. The first thing is disbelief that something so elegant is hand crafted from concrete. The second thing is that everyone wants to touch it. They caress the rim and wonder why something uneven and somewhat unfinished is so appealing. The inside is smooth and silky and the outside is mottled and slightly rough. This bowl is a result of not following (or even knowing) 'the rules of concrete', using a set of skills from another medium (clay) and collaborating with someone who knows how to finish and seal designer concrete. Alison knocked it out of the park with this bowl. I suspect that we will be exploring just how thin we can go with concrete while maintaining function.

$149.00

Pufflin'

We have been creating up a storm!  We have so many projects in process but we like to wait to reveal the finished product.  We've been on buying trips, learning new techniques, and working our marketing plan.  So don't worry, Puffin is pufflin' along, more news to come very soon.

Unique Handcrafted Desk

About the design:


In the quest to make the perfect desk, we threw out all notions of what a desk should look like. We started with the concept of sitting "in" the desk instead of "at" the desk. This allows more functional space in a relatively compact space.

Designed for a right handed user, we left more "meat" on the right side for those who still prefer to use pen and paper.

To make the desk versatile we kept the front and left edge flat for placement against a wall or window....although we think the desk  looks great in the center of the room.

 We added a rounded bull nose edge for user comfort that sensuously  curves around to complete the right edge.

To keep the weight down, we crafted the top 3/4 inches thick. To get the thick edge, we formed a false drop down edge that is 1.5 inches deep. There is no metal reinforcing in the concrete as it is glass fiber reinforced.

Once we were happy with the ergonomic design...it was time to create a piece of functional art.

Starting with basic off-white concrete, we added a gold vein and highlights before polishing to a smooth finish. The top is sealed with an environmentally friendly, food safe sealer that offers extreme resistance to acids such as wine as well as coffee etc.

Once the desk top was complete, we took it to master metal worker and artist, Andrew Bibby - at Black Knight Forge - and asked him to come up an aesthetically pleasing base. To say that Andrew knocked it out of the park is an understatement. Every piece of steel is hand forged and custom fitted before the joints were wrapped in iron rod. Andrew added his proprietary bronze coloration to highlight the base. With the exception of the front legs - that are also hammer forged - there is not a single straight piece of metal in the whole base.

The hand forged base is a perfect match for the desk top. The one of a kind desk is not only unique but is literally jaw dropping beautiful.  $5500.00