The Concrete Colorist: Turning Floors Into Works of Art

Juliet Farmer, ConcreteNetwork.Com Columnist

After spending five minutes with Brian Vicari, owner of The Concrete Colorist in Benicia, Calif., it's clear there's more than meets the eye. Take the fact that he got his bachelor's degree in public relations, which means he's both shrewd and eloquent. Then add the fact that he minored in psychology, Eastern Asian religion, and business psychology, and you'll wonder if his laid-back attitude is really a cover for the fact that he's psychoanalyzing you.

But take one look at The Concrete Colorist's flooring work, and everything else will simply slip away as you become mesmerized by the colors and patterns that seem to ebb and flow like the tide.

After being prodded to venture out on his own, following an apprenticeship with someone in the Bay Area in 1996 and 1997, Vicari got licensed in 1998 and incorporated in 2003. "I'm so glad I went on my own, because I had to make my own mistakes to learn," he adds.

Building and shaping things come naturally to Vicari—both his grandfather and father built homes, and Vicari got his start in hardwood floors before recognizing the potential in concrete. "I saw a bigger artistic outlet in concrete," he says.

He's clearly doing something right, with retailers such as Whole Foods and Smith & Hawken clamoring for The Concrete Colorist to work on their floors, as well as HGTV's Curb Appeal, for which The Concrete Colorist did (almost) pro-bono work.

The Concrete Colorist garners most of its business through Yellow Pages' ads, the Concrete Network website, their own website, and links to other companies that specialize in other areas of the industry.

Vicari is very particular about his work. The Concrete Colorist doesn't pour concrete. Instead, their job starts after the concrete has been poured, when they dedicate themselves to infusing color and depth into existing concrete, using patina stains and dyes.

The Concrete Colorist specializes in architectural concrete overlayments and custom laser cut stencils. All crews and artists are trained to approach each job with a critical eye for detail, with only premium materials used to ensure consistent results.

A slew of restaurants, eight in five weeks, have been at the top of The Concrete Colorist queue. Included among them is Wipeout Restaurant at Pier 39 in San Francisco, owned by the founder of Chevy's, which has been infused with a surfing theme. For that job, Vicari created 12 different logos ranging in size from one-foot by one-foot, to three feet by six feet, and placed 35 of them over the interior floor of the restaurant in four days.

Vicari is also involved with industry training, partnering with Colormaker Floors, which he's been involved in for a few years now. Vicari teaches a three-day seminar on the techniques of installing micro-toppings and acid stains, as well as the keys to creating samples and replicating that process on-site, and building a sample portfolio to use in the future as a selling tool.

Although home shows are more the norm for contractors, The Concrete Colorist attended the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Trade Exposition in May 2005 in Las Vegas.

"I've done little and big shows," Vicari explains, adding that showing at the ICSC is a way to tap into the retail market. "Architects are specifying specific products that are time tested, but they may not like [the] products they used in the past. At these shows, I get to show them options, as well as my artistic side."

That artistic side includes acid stains and dye washes that are blended for a dramatic watercolor effect and are variegated and mottled in color. By blending acid stains and dye washes together in a precise manner, The Concrete Colorist takes one-dimensional floors to a new level.

Graphics are The Concrete Colorist's specialty. They use custom laser cut stencils, hand crafted templates and freehand saw cutting to create logos, borders and personal graphics. In order to give permanence and relief to graphics, they also sand blast three to five millimeters into the surface before applying custom colors to enhance and define the design.

"I push projects as far as my clients allow," Vicari laughs. "This is giving me a much more creative outlet."

Vicari's outlet includes abstract concrete paintings, which he started selling about four years ago at the urging of family and friends. "Concrete's not just for floors," he says. "Put concrete on a panel, and you can appreciate it as fine art."

You can bet that fine art will be hanging on the walls of the showroom Vicari is planning to open in the Bay Area. He says there are also plans to teach out of the facility, because, he adds, "There's a big market for teaching people what we know. [If we] teach people how to push to their artistic side, that's what helps the trade as a whole."

As for why Vicari wants The Concrete Colorist to stick to floors, he says, "I feel I can give higher quality work by specializing in visual concrete flooring." We think he's absolutely right.

Brian Vicari
PO Box 1171
Benicia, CA 94510
(510) 913-1991 Office
(510) 588-4814 Fax
Send Mail Now - Click Here
http://www.theconcretecolorist.com

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