Anthology‘s “The Great Outdoors” issue is months away—up next is “Life’s a Party!”—but in my mind I’m already gearing up for warm summer weather and outdoor entertaining. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for concrete (haha). When handled correctly, the imperfections in concrete can become the most beautiful elements of the object’s design, and I tend to gravitate towards simple, modest pieces that embrace the organic nature of the material.
Concrete is known for being an incredibly cumbersome, industrial material, but luckily it has seen many advancements in recent years. Many designers use custom blends to reduce the weight of the material, and a wonderful benefit to concrete is its versatility—most concrete designs are suitable for indoor or outdoor use, making them fantastic transition pieces to take you from season to season. Here are some of new favorites; I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
{Images above: Concrete fruit bowl, Martini pendant light, and Long concrete box by AT Designs}
{Images above: Obleeek end table with bamboo top and Small Obleeek planter by Obleeek Objects}
{Images above: Impure Vessels by Deborah Brackenbury}
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Kate – love the post. We have some artists doing great things with concrete as well I thought I would share with you.
Michael McClatchy’s “Long Hall Table” is a great example of incorporating concrete into furniture design:
http://www.artfulhome.com/product/Michael-McClatchy/Long-Hall-Table/54590
And Mona Hoffman’s “Found” table lamp incorporates recycled glass tiles and rusty hardware into the mold making for a great conversation piece.
http://www.artfulhome.com/product/Mona-Hoffman/Found/53484
Great article!
I love the concrete planter! But, as much as I enjoyed all the photos of creatively used concrete– I think the vintage pencil sharpener was my favorite part. Now, I’m itching to design a artists studio or home office using the fresh scent of manually sharpened pencils as an inspiration! Remember that sweet smell of a new beginning?
Hazel
Managing editor at FifthroomLiving
Concrete pendant? Impossible surely!
yay – a t designs is in our market this month, so fun you’re featuring them!
Hazel – Vintage pencil sharpeners = fantastic. I completely agree :)
Jan – That’s so great! Your market is such a lovely feature; I love browsing the curated collections you’ve got going. Yay for concrete!
Love the Impure Vessels the best!
I remember concrete chairs at my grandparents house in France – long deceased now, would anyone know of who designed them and where they can still be found. I’ve had no luck so far….. Thks for any help that can be provided.
Ann – Concrete chairs, sounds interesting! Do you have a link to an image of the chairs or something of a similar style, or perhaps could you describe the chairs in a bit more detail? We might be able to do a bit of scouting for you.