Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Ready...set...go!




Remember this sneak peek from...oh, about 6 months ago?  We are now up and running with a new product: Aurastone.  Aurastone is a concrete overlay system for creating countertops and other surfaces that are seamless and durable.  The surface is easily maintained with a beeswax finish and mild soap & water for cleanup.  With USDA approval, Aurastone has one of the highest food safety ratings in the country, is bacteria & stain resistant and will withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees.  Because of it's wide color palette, the artistic applications are endless.  We can create a natural or fantasy stone look or create original artwork within the epoxy.

Our first project was a kitchen counter.  The new countertop was constructed with MDX, a denser version of MDF.  A water-proof sealent was applied to the entire surface.



Two passes of concrete were then applied, creating a scratch-coat.



Some painting magic...


...with dyes, mica and metallic powders...


...followed by a coating of a water-based 2 part epoxy system.  This epoxy has no odor and is low VOC, so it's great to work with.  The blow torch is used to disperse air bubbles.  A more natural, matte stone finish is achieved by honing the surface with an orbital sander: 4 passes with sandpaper-400 to 4000 grit!!!  The surface is then buffed with beeswax.


Here is the awful, laminate butcher block before:


The newly installed countertop.  A handsome, polished concrete finish.



Aurastone can be used for countertops, tables, art and so many more possibilities.  We look forward to creating many more projects and posting them in the future.

Zula



Once upon a time, about 5 years ago, a new restaurant was in the design & construction phase.  FWS was hired to install hip, modern finishes in 5 spaces.  And we did.  Venetian plasters, Lusterstone, a JaDecor night ceiling, reactive metal walls.  Unfortunately, there were some zoning issues and the restaurant never opened.


But...there is a happy ending!  We learned that the space was taken over by new owners.  Zula Bar and Restaurant opened in January, 2011.  We recently made the trip to check out the new restaurant and were very pleasantly surprised to see that they had kept our finishes.

Lusterstone plaster in the bar and cocktail area.


Venetian plaster finish in the dining area


Reactive metal walls on the stage.




Overall, we were very pleased with the new restaurant. Nice bar, the drinks and food were great. We look forward to visiting Zula the next time we are in the Hartford area!