Year's Best Projects

Each year is full of interesting surprises and for the most part this year has been all good. We have had the opportunity to work on some really amazing and definately unique projects. We have created some great new techniques this year in our mold making process as well as our different processes for texture. We have created a higher quality product while saving us and the customer some time and money. We have developed a new proprietary process for translucent concrete which among other things are becoming popular with the bar crowd.

Concrete Highlights of 2007. What is in store for the New Year?

Embeds. One of the perks that is solely unique to concrete is the ability to put whatever you want in the surface. We have seen trivets, fossils, towel bars, iron inlays, fruit bowls, drain boards, glass, rocks, shells, sinks, optics, agate slices, back lit agate slices, steel embeds, coins, and wine bottles. Our personal favorite that we contributed to this year and will most likely be seeing more of next year, embedded wine chillers. Our first one was embedded into a bar sink with fiber optics. The second one we made was integral part of the countertop with its own drain into the sink. One of JM's unique contributions to the compilation of different ways to enhance and set apart concrete from the rest of the materials out there.

Translucent Concrete. Fiber Optics and LEDs are becoming more and more popular and widely used in general. Naturally, they are becoming more widely used accenting concrete. The subject is getting more more press as in this past issue of Concrete Decor Magazine.
More fabricators will be seeking out tips and techniques and will be developing or enhancing new processes. This past year we enhanced our own technique for combining lighting and concrete. We have a new "Translucent Concrete", different than any other technique I have seen thus far, it glows rather than the pin point lighting of the fiber optics.

Patterns in Surfaces. This year there were countless design articles written about bringing color into the kitchen. We saw bright vibrant colors. As people are becoming more familiar with all the uses of concrete they will see how different concrete is than any other material. Of course, you are going to find cheaper options like some granites, however, for the slight cost difference and the options that are available to you, I think it is a slight increase for a world of options. ( I am bias however). We have been fortunate that our clients this passed year have not been calling us comparing us to granite guy that does 100 kitchens a week, they call us because they wanted something different, specialized and personal, so if you don't care about embeds, lighting options, color options, edge detail options, then the cost of concrete won't seem worth it to you, but it may be the most cost effective custom work you may ever have done. This kitchen countertop has gotten a lot of attention this year. It was used for an advertisement in dwell magazine www.fabconcretecountertops.com and has generated a new clientèle that wants their own custom patterns in surfaces.

Unnatural Concrete Furniture. Concrete is a natural choice for outdoor planters, piers, and lighting bollards. We are seeing more and more people expanding the traditional profile of what is expected from this material. We have seen tables, chairs, sills, shelves, benches. Last year at the World Of Concrete we saw the world's first all concrete Poker Table. We are seeing a lot more instances where concrete is loosing its clumsy bulky heavy appearance and it is being used for a variety of tastes and designs. It is no longer limited. As the awareness of what concrete is capable of increases, the demand and the ability of fabricators joins and we will continue to see more innovative functional yet artistic concrete furniture. We made a concrete suspension bridge that is a shelving unit. You can read the article about in the Outrageous Projects section on the Concrete Network's site.

I am sure there will be more new trends this year, things we haven't thought of yet. Looking forward to a new year always learning, always changing for the better, never settling and always doing something outrageous! Oh and we are also getting a new site for the new year, not up yet...you can still visit the old site at:

www.jmlifestyles.com

Wishing you and yours a healthy happy prosperous New Year!

World Of Concrete 2008

JM Lifestyles will be attending the World of Concrete 2008 and so will one of our pieces. Concrete Ideas' will be featuring one of our newest innovations for "Concrete Ideas' World's First 2008". They show this picture as their sneak preview. Stop by their booth you won't want to miss this!

Stay tuned for the story on how and why we made this special limited edition piece.

www.jmlifestyles.com

New Old Concrete Countertops

A few posts back was about a new process for Old World Concrete we developed for a client's kitchen. The process came out better than expected and now we are using it in some of our standard applications.

The project is unique as the house is an old camp log/tudor style home. They chose concrete because they were looking for rock, but with a finish. For the normal countertops we came up with a dupont rockface combination edge detail to give it a rustic yet finished look. There are trivet details and towel rack. The integral sink has a detail that fits the custom made cutting board that slides across and over the sink. The countertops vary in color.

The center island countertop is a lighter rock color with rock veining. Then there is the rock bar top with integral wine chiller insulated and drains into the sink. It fits the kitchen's unique classic decor. If you are interested email me for the original design.

AIA Continuing Education Class

So I just wanted to write and thank everyone who came to Jeff's class; "Everything Concrete Functional to Decorative". We had a great turn out and a lot of positive feedback. I am sure we will hold another one soon and we teach lunch and learns for different design/architect firms. Call or email if interested.

Keep updated, we have two very exciting projects I will be showcasing on the blog. Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday spirit and isn't as hectic as we are!

Concrete Decor COVER!

Jeff recently got interviewed for an article about lighting and concrete, featured in this month's Concrete Decor Magazine. They used our picture for the COVER!!
Check out the next issue, it isn't out just yet, but should be soon.

Just a reminder of the Construction Expo at the Meadowlands, where we will be teaching an AIA continuing education course from 9-11.

Hope to see you there!

New Process!

In the shop photos and updates:

We started working on this custom kitchen for a client in his really unique home, a log home/tudor style house on an island in a lake. The end pictures are going to be amazing! On this blog are pictures of the tops in the shop. They wanted texture, the acid stain to bring out certain colors, and part of it to match their granite stone fireplace. The process came out better than anticipated and now we are going to incorporate the process for some of our standard applications.

This is part of what we do, customizing and accommodating to meet our clients' needs. We don't have pictures yet, but the center island is going to be a huge rock. If you are interested, email me and we can send you the drawings of the final design of the kitchen. There is a texture in the surface that makes it look like stone: it is really great looking, Old World style.