Centerline Production
Switching Gears From Public Art to Residential
Countertops, Floors
by Michele Dawson, The Concrete Network
For Kia Ricchi, it's time to get personal.
Over the years her concrete art has been displayed at the Orlando Museum of Art and the Ann Norton Sculpture Garden in Palm Beach. She's painted and sculpted for the likes of Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World. Now Ricchi has decided the time has come to create concrete that is morepersonalized - residential countertops and floors that can be acid-stained, embedded with various inlays, and engraved for individual homeowners.
"My goal is to introduce concrete artistry into the home that is unique in its design, visually pleasing, and fully functional," Ricchi said.
Ricchi, artist and owner of Centerline Production, based in Orlando, Florida, recently decided to provide concrete services on a one-on-one basis. The company had been focused primarily on public art projects, with clients including the Florida Marlins, Blockbuster, and the Miami Zoo.
Ricchi has been an active artist since her early childhood years in Europe. While living abroad in Berlin, Germany, she found that art classes allowed her to meet the local artists who participated in the local cultural scene. During the seven years she lived in Berlin, she also studied in Siena, Italy, and Stockholm, Sweden.
In 1998, she became a licensed certified building contractor to satisfy her interest in the structural integrity of the large-scale artwork she was developing.
These public projects have included large-scale, abstract, and naturalistic concrete sculpture that have evolved into the focal points of commercial offices, universities, public parks, and recreation sites.
She developed her own series of work called "Creative Seating Series," a project that stemmed from her desire to combine aesthetics and function. Natural elements such as trees and reefs seemed an obvious theme due to their organic shapes, which could be easily manipulated to accommodate seating, while providing interesting aesthetic opportunities.
The impressive seating structures are created from welded steel and reinforced concrete. The engineered steel armature supports a bent rebar cage that defines the shape. All steel is protected with a three-part marine paint system to inhibit rust. Galvanized lathe is applied to stiffen the cage. Two inches of stucco are applied and manipulated with trowels, molds, and custom made tools. Acid stains and/or integral color further ensure the durability of the artwork.
One of her seating creations is the replication of a coral reef, 21 feet long, 10 feet deep and 6 feet high.
"I love the diversity of the coral reefs, plus their abundant color and shapes," she said. "A person can spend hours viewing ten square feet of reef once you start studying the coral instead of focusing on the transient fish life. While diving in Bonaire I actually saw an orange elephant sponge that was the exact size and shape of a couch. It became obvious to me that a coral reef was ideal for the creative seating series."
But for now the public projects will make room for Ricchi's immersion into the residential market, which is booming in the Orlando area — many Central Florida home builders and mortgage lenders have posted record years in 2002, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
"I have already started working with builders and designers and have several ongoing projects. The key is to work together closely during the concept and design phase so the homeowner ends up with a differentiated and personalized work of art that they can interface with and enjoy on a daily basis," she said.
On the technical side of things, Ricchi is working to improve floor sealers - one of the aspects of decorative concrete floors that she says she views as a weak spot.
"I'm currently researching floor sealers because I see a lot of sealer failure on commercial jobs where there is intense foot traffic — like bathroom entries," she said. "I'm committed to providing a superior job for the customer so I won't proceed unless the materials are top-notch."
She said many builders and decorators in the Orlando area know what decorative concrete is, but haven't used it.
"There is a huge interest in the product and oftentimes I am educating them in what can be done with integral color, acid stains, and artistic inlays," Ricchi said.
Ricchi said she has always loved concrete.
"Concrete is a structural medium that can be manipulated artistically with color and texture," she said.
"I like dry pigments for their great durability, UV resistance, and solid color throughout," she told Concrete Décor magazine in an August 2002 article.
She also uses acid stains to create dimension and shading.
"Acid stains are ideal for creating natural-looking surfaces," she said.
As far as trends in the residential market go, she said homeowners are beginning to steer away from the highly polished and antiseptic look of granite and marble.
"The new trend is an earthy, satin look with rustic cabinetry and hardware," she said. "The countertops can be personalized with a wide range of decorative and functional inlays including different metals, natural stone, tile, and even mementos from the homeowner."
Ricchi is looking forward to the change of pace from public projects aimed to please thousands, if not millions, to private projects designed exclusively for one household.
Centerline Production, Inc
Kia Ricchi
2425 McMichael Rd.
St. Cloud, FL 34771
(407) 891-1422
(407) 891-1422 FAX
Send Mail Now - Click Here
www.centerlineart.com
Michele Dawson writes each week on one of the contractor members of The Concrete Network (www.concretenetwork.com). She has written about the home building industry for several years and was on the public affairs staff of the California Building Industry Association.
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