- Stamped Concrete
- Stained Concrete
- Decorative Concrete Overlays
- Colored Concrete
- Concrete Polishing
- Concrete Countertops
- Concrete Resurfacing
- Design Ideas for Decorative Concrete
- Concrete Designs: Decorative concrete ideas for patios, floors, driveways, pool decks, countertops, and more
- Six Hot Decorative Concrete Design Ideas on a Budget
- What Is Decorative Concrete?
- Glossary of Decorative Concrete Terms: What is a band? What is a field?
- Types of Textured Finishes: Float and trowel textures, broom finishes, rock salt
- Decorative Concrete Mix Design
- Decorative Concrete Cost
- Maintaining Decorative Concrete
- Cleaning Decorative Concrete
- Concrete Sealers
- Other Resources
- Going Green with Concrete Floors and Countertops: An overview of concrete's eco-friendly benefits
- Concrete Contractors: Find A Concrete Product Supplier or Distributor
Ideas for Decorative Concrete from Around the World
Drawing inspiration from different places can inspire the mind and spark our creativity
When I was 17 years old, going to school in Sarasota, Fla., my high school football team was in a position to win the district championship in a tough division. As with many coaches and leaders, one of the responsibilities of our head football coach was to inspire. Looking for a good motivational topic, he found one in the famous Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield professional boxing match.
Tyson had just regained his title as heavyweight champ after being released from prison. Holyfield was getting older, and many thought his health was in question. This was the basis for a fiery motivational speech given by our coach. The underdog Holyfield went on to win the fight, as did our football team to take a district championship.
I love a good motivational talk. In the decorative concrete world, artisans gain motivation from many different places. We can get ideas from the pictures of others' work, training sessions we attend, and the most important in my opinion, in the beauty we find in nature and structures of the past. By taking a step back to look around and really admire our surroundings, we can very easily gain inspiration for our decorative concrete work. I remember an article I read about a training project that took place in Texas. The amazing artisans involved used a picture of the famous Alamo to create a smaller replica of the real structure out of a vertical stamping/carving mix. It is this type of inspiration I would like to share here.
I have a unique job that allows me to see many distinctive places around the world. I love to take pictures of work that craftsmen have installed hundreds of years ago. I often pull off roads to take quick shots of natural rock that are indigenous to a local area. I frequently try my wife's patience when I stop and stare at some random concrete job, take some pictures, and then explain to her how I would pull off the same project.
Life and our surroundings often influence the kind of work we do as decorative concrete installers. Many of us are in the decorative concrete business because there is an artistic element to the work. Artists draw inspiration from many different places. Slowing down to see the beautiful world we live in can inspire the mind and provide new ideas for the work we do. I hope these pictures and observations act as inspiration for your own work.
