We would talk to anybody who would listen. Eighteen months ago, Carr branched off from his mentor and turned his company into a separate corporation. The growing visibility of the material in bars, restaurants, stores, offices and glossy magazine spreads has gradually softened the need for a hard sell. Kathryn Scriven of Chevy Chase became acquainted with concrete when she visited a local design showroom seeking an oversize farm sink of soapstone. She spied a beauty, but couldn't tell what it was made of.
Cement is the binding ingredient of concrete, which is also composed of sand, water and gravel.
What separates the sidewalk variety from the material in residential uses are custom colors, detailed edges, swooping lines and a tactile quality. Like marble and granite, concrete is cool to the touch, but the matte finish conveys a look of warmth. And unlike natural stone, which limits how much a designer or architect can do with dimensions, colors and veining, concrete can be molded into any shape. How that process works slides under the classification of trade secrets. But basically, measurements are taken and a template is made from plywood.