Wishes

                                          Warm ones.

In the works...Water Street

Things are shaping up at 205 Water Street in Brooklyn.

This is the sales office where we had a hand in the flooring, as well as the reception desk. 

It's getting a lot of press, and has a long waiting list. 

There are many reasons why.

This project will really get going in January so check back for updates.

How We Roll

We made this stop motion film a while back as a way to illustrate the                     laborious process of making a concrete countertop.

  To anyone who has ever wondered, "How hard can it be?", watch as the       sun goes down, the lights go on, and the guys trowel their arms off.          Eventually, it morphs from a job site to a sleek, modern kitchen.

Local ♥...Union Square

A local restaurant/bar has opened down the street from the Bardavon on Market Street.

Union Square serves eleven varieties of wings, salads and sandwiches, as well as entrees like Cowboy steak. Somehow I think they'll fit right in here in Poughkeepsie.

Check out the poker league, Thursdays at 7pm (if you're feeling lucky).

The bar tops are concrete of course, downstairs and up, and they add to the warm, relaxed feeling at Union Square. 

Tangerine Bandwagon

    According to Pantone, this orangish reddish color is something we'll be seeing a lot more of.

     It's the official color of 2012 and we happen to make concrete in this lively hue. 

 It's kinetic in the kitchen, 

   awesome as art,

    and bold on your body.

  Jump on everybody, here's to an inspiring 2012!

In the works...Local Residence

  This is an existing floor that we Diamond polished. 

              We then used a Floor Map stencil to create the compass.

             The owner painstakingly positioned the compass before we                      began the staining process. I would have done the same.
         
            There truly is nothing worse than being lost in your own house.                              

     Above is our first attempt at stenciling, done at The Shop,

    and another stencil we did for the Monticello Motor Club.

Impressed

        Loving these salt cellars and other epicurean accoutrement.

                        Organic colors and a smooth, waxed finish.

  The coasters can be personalized.

    They're made by Culinarium and there's more where that came from.

                                Happy holiday shopping!

Facelift

               Yet another concrete floor that once was naughty...

                                       and now is nice.

            If you have one of these floors (old and yucky) and you're                      thinking about pouring an all new slab or covering it with                        another material, it's time to find out how this is done.

Gobble, Gobble

                                  Happy Thanksgiving Y'all.
                               

Rock On

We entered our crew in the Crews that Rock contest, sponsored by BASF,     hosted by World of Concrete, and they were selected as finalists!

      Voting begins today and runs until December 16. Please help us             recognize our crew for all of their efforts by voting for them to              win awesome prizes (you can vote as many times as you want to).

                                      Good going guys!
                 
                         Vote here and you could win an iPad 2.

Oops!

          We've discovered that the layout of our blog is a little wacky.
                      Bare with us while we get it back in line...

Done and Done...United Way

          GRS recently manufactured concrete stairs and risers for the                            United Way headquarters in Alexandria, VA.

         Included in the project was cladding for the exterior columns         in dark grey.

                     

                        Masterminds behind the project include:

                            TPG Architecture and Lorton Stone.

                              Photographs by Joseph Kitchen.

Winner

  While we were neglecting the blog, someone played our game!

        Thank you to Michelle for snapping this photo of our van in                  Manhattan yesterday. She reported that it was on Bleeker Street,             where we are working on something special (made of concrete).

                                  Thanks for playing along!

                          Michelle opted for the concrete bowl.
                                       We have more...

Done and Done...Piero Guidi SoHo

              The white concrete that we mentioned a while back now                                     lives in Piero Guidi's first US store.

              The logo was incorporated using a stainless steel inlay.

              Love that we played an indistinct role in anyone's first                                               anything in New York.

Mock Up

       
            This is what our floor polishing machines and professional                        technicians can do to an old, mistreated concrete floor.

              The process does not involve any harsh chemicals or                                       sealers and maintenance is super easy.                              
               Diamond polishing is economical, sustainable, durable,                                                    and beautiful!

In Vogue

                          We've featured concrete jewelry before.

   

 Concrete bracelet by KON ZUK 

                                   
                             The trend seems to be catching.

  Concrete rings by 22 Design Studio

   Interestingly, using concrete on a small scale allows for the same level                     of creativity as you find in making anything else.
                     
                     Just another reason we think concrete rocks...

Find our Fleet!

                       We thought it would be fun to play a game.

                                        To play along:
       Spot our trucks and email a photo to nicole@getrealsurfaces.com.
             Tell us where it was and you will win, drumroll please....

                                ...a small concrete vessel!
                   (great for business cards, paperclips, or flowers)

                             
                              or a t-shirt! (great for wearing)

               On any given day, our trucks are all over New York so
                       chances are you'll see them somewhere.
       
                   Follow us on twitter @getrealsurfaces for hints.

Done and Done...Sperone Westwater Gallery

The Sperone Westwater Gallery has added Best New Building to its accolades. 

Its new location, 257 Bowery in New York has been recognized for its "significant contribution to New York's built environment". Details here.

 
   As you can see, the interior finishes are just as impressive as the                              exterior, not to mention the art it houses.
             
                 Upcoming exhibitions include WORK by Tom Sachs,                                            November 4- December 17, 2011.

"Cinderblock"

Done and Done...Jane's Carousel

The horses have arrived! 

                              There was no cotton candy,
                                           
                     but they did serve hot dogs and champagne.

                         
            An appropriate menu for an evening spent riding horses
                  Down Under the Manhattan Brooklyn Overpass.

In the works...New Museum

        We have worked on some fun projects but this just might trump             them all. Seriously, they give you a helmet and kneepads for this           ride, 102 feet of twist in total. The slide is an original work by               German artist Cartsen Holler, and you can try it out at the New             Museum.

        How much do you wanna bet our crew has tested this baby out?

                     
                             You know you want to guys.
                    Just make sure you're wearing your helmets.
               And don't slide into the wet concrete at the bottom!

Serious Color Matching

                   Fine Paints of Europe has unveiled Guggenheim
                            "Classical" and "Gallery" paint colors.
             

   The Classical Colors collection is a set of 150 wall colors drawn from  "much loved" paintings in the Guggenheim's permanent collection, and the Gallery Colors are comprised of 50 hues "favored by generations of                 Guggenheim Museum curators, artists, and designers".


               If you have any art that needs hanging or highlighting,
       consult the experts at Guggenheim Color by Fine Paints of Europe.

                              They just made it a lot easier.

Local ♥

                                                   

The Walkway Over the Hudson is one of the more exciting things that has happened in the Hudson Valley in recent years. The longest pedestrian bridge in the world, it spans the Hudson river, 212 feet above the ground.                    

Originally a railroad bridge around since 1886, the foot bridge has been bringing the community out in droves to move their bodies, buy local produce (they added a farmers market this year), and socialize.

The best part about the walkway may be the ability for one to gain perspective. Higher than the tree tops, above the city of Poughkeepsie and Highland, it really hits home- the Hudson Valley is a beautiful place, surrounded by culture and history.

Experience it for yourself this fall.

Get Real is steps away so make a day of it and call us for a tour!

Done and Done...Ronald McDonald House

                             A Get Real before and after.

                                            BEFORE...

  An old concrete floor with adhesives galore.

DURING...

  We used a water based pigment to dye the existing slab, 

which was then ground and polished. 

  All of the products used were safe and non-toxic.

AFTER...

  A smooth, evenly colored, polished concrete floor. 

Another successful transformation.

This floor is at a Ronald McDonald House in Manhattan,

a project we all feel good about.

Done and Done..Marimekko

If you can overlook the bold colors, patterns, and prints...

wait, why would you want to do that?

Ok...Once you wander around the Marimekko Flagship store

you will know what all the buzz is about.

Later, when you relax into that giddy feeling, 

look down and you will find a burnished GRS concrete floor. 

It is all too cool. 

You may even find yourself leaning down to touch it.

A heart of stone

                   Though the idea is not terribly complimentary,
                      this necklace is a lovely mix of materials.



                              
                                                               You can find it on etsy.