DeWulf Concrete Launches New Product Line

James DeWulf, owner of DeWulf Concrete, really shouldn't be in decorative concrete. By all intents and purposes, he's supposed to be pushing papers behind a desk somewhere, crunching numbers all day long. Luckily, the thought of that existence drove him crazy-but in a good way.

DeWulf graduated from Emory University in Georgia, one of those Top 10 schools aspiring doctors clamor to get in to, where he studied Economics, partly because that's what his father wanted him to do. After graduation, DeWulf got a job as an investment banker.

"I burned out in a month of working that job," DeWulf recalls. "So I got into real estate selling, bought a home and sold it for a profit and did that a few more times."

DeWulf then turned his attention to real estate development—specifically, an eight-unit, high-end concrete and steel condominium in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Unfortunately for him, the project broke ground on September 11, 2001. Needless to say, the market for high-end condominiums took a nosedive, and as a result, DeWulf's portfolio took a beating.

Shortly thereafter, DeWulf got married, and he and his wife decided to head out west to California. He explains, "I had a bad taste for developing after that [condominium] experience, and I wanted to work with my hands and get back to basics."

You know the old adage one man's loss is another's gain? Well, in this case, that man was the very same person—DeWulf. He started playing around with concrete and quickly his passion for it grew. DeWulf worked for someone else for six months learning and creating, then began coming up with new ways, processes and ideas.

"So I took off on my own, and that's how [DeWulf Concrete] started," he says. "I thought it would be a passing thing and I would eventually get back to something else. But I just loved it."

"When you make something with concrete, everybody wants to touch it...It's natural and earthy and pure and alive," DeWulf continues, adding, "The first stuff I made was bad, but I still loved it."

Today, DeWulf focuses his passion on precast countertops and integrated sinks in his studio in West Los Angeles. The current studio tops out at 3,000 square feet, but DeWulf adds that he's scouting for a larger space—triple the size—in the same area.

Because DeWulf's custom business has been rapidly growing, particularly the kitchen, bath and fireplace arenas, he's also recently launched a product line. That line, consisting of sinks and a few tables, was introduced in May in New York City at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. Among the types of sinks for both the kitchen and bath were farm, vessel, and double vanity.

The product line will ship all over the U.S., DeWulf says he will not be selling directly to the public but rather through stores that carry the DeWulf line. Adding that he's hoping to partner with a national store soon, DeWulf says the line can currently be found in the Classic Tile and Mosaic chain of California store.

DeWulf has also had national television exposure in two shows. In the first, an HGTV special on renowned designer Kenneth Brown, DeWulf created a countertop. In the second, for the BBC channel's special on designer Susan Cohen, he crafted floors and countertops.

Though DeWulf Concrete has been approached by a few hotels offering to fly his team to them, he says it has to be worth their while. "We can do stuff anywhere, but it's easier to do residential," DeWulf explains. "Starting out, that's all we did, and now do [about] three residential jobs a week."

About 90 percent of DeWulf Concrete's clientele lies within a 30-mile radius of Los Angeles, including surrounding Malibu, Santa Monica, Palos Verdes, and Newport Beach.

Among the more unusual work DeWulf has done was a project for a high-end design firm's client, a man who specifically requested realistic looking wood logs—made out of concrete. DeWulf also created a huge, 36-inch square box of concrete for a statue to sit on.

But for the most part, DeWulf says he tries to steer his clients toward what he thinks will look good—and he is, after all, the expert. "I lean toward natural tones (not a lot of really bright colors) like simple grays, and charcoals, because I want it to look natural."

He's also touting the benefits of integrated sinks, something he says people aren't quite used to yet. "People aren't used to the lack of seams," he observes, "but fall in love with the integrated sinks when they see them in the studio".

People also aren't used to the DeWulf guarantee. "I guarantee against the normal concerns like cracking—because I developed my own mix I also guarantee my sealant for one year." With a guarantee like that, it's no wonder DeWulf Concrete is so successful.

DeWulf Concrete
James DeWulf
8556 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 558-8325 Office
(310) 558-8326 Fax
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http://www.dwconcrete.com

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