Designer Joel Joves pulled up all the carpet in his home, his plan being to replace it with marble. A cost estimate of $27,000 for the project changed his mind, however, and instead he decided to keep the concrete floor. He went to work aging the concrete, and when he was finished, he liked it so much that he removed the tile from the bathroom and added concrete--to the walls as well as the floor. In order to have a hint of luxury, he added a marble counter and marble squares set into the walls. The entire project saved him a bit of money too: the final cost was less than $300.
Here's how Joves aged his concrete floors:
- Start with a clean surface. If the concrete isn't new, clean it with trisodium phosphate; let dry.
- With a large brush, apply wood stain (Joves used Driftwood) to the surface, working quickly and in small areas since the stain soaks into the concrete in a very short time.
- Wipe the stained surface with a dry cloth to remove excess stain. Let dry.
- Spritz the surface with spray enamel (be as creative as you wish), and dab it with another dry cloth. Let dry.
- Seal the concrete with two to three coats of polyurethane (Joves used three in the bathroom and two elsewhere).
Guests Joel Joves, Designer
J. Joves and Associates
1155 N. La Cienega Blvd. #201
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Phone: 310-652-7211
Fax: 310-854-3811
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