Craftsmanship Workshop

Buzz Evans, owner of Craftsmanship Workshop in Mission Viejo, Calif., is passionate about art. Once a frustrated artist, Evans says he got into concrete because he couldn't make a decent living in art. Instead, he says he wanted to explore different avenues to make money while putting his creative abilities to good use.

Evans' first venture was antique restorations and furniture refinishing (of which he still does occasional work). A focus on interiors quickly led him to whole-home interior restorations, because, Evans says, "It all has to do with coating and finishing."

He spent many years doing finishes, until the late 70s and early 80s caused Evans to focus anew. After painting floors in faux finishes for several clients, Evans discovered an overlayment product integral to concrete restoration—and that's where it all (officially) began.

What started in Evans' garage for $225 in materials has since transformed into a showroom full of beautiful and creative concrete works. Craftsmanship Workshop offers refinishing, repairs, touch up, and restoration of concrete, cabinetry and furniture, as well as faux finishing, wall glazing, trompel'oeil, decorative painting, old world finishes, specialty custom finishes, gold leafing, marbelizing, wood graining, crackle finishes, caning, rushing and veneering.

All of Craftsmanship Workshop's finishes have clear protective coatings with wearguard additives, and their clear coats are alcohol, water, heat, detergent and household chemical resistant. Furniture and cabinetry finishes also have a full five-year warranty.

In addition, all stains are custom mixed and blended for each individual, and all stains and glazes are hand applied in multiple stages to achieve maximum enhanced depth and precision color matching, thus guaranteeing complete customer satisfaction.

The finishes can be applied to most any surface, including furniture, cabinetry, staircases, walls, ceilings, floors, countertops, rain gutters, fences, concrete, masonry and metals.

Craftsmanship Workshop uses the finest polymers available, with excellent adhesion properties on most any surface. Products can be applied over existing concrete, marble, tile, wood, formica, brick, drywall and much more. These products are for interior and exterior, both with excellent waterproofing qualities. Colors are fade resistant with clear sealers that also have excellent ultraviolet protection.

These days, all of Craftsmanship Workshop's customers seem to be clamoring for countertops and floors, with the Tuscan look dominating the scene, as well as the neutral Travertine look.

These styles are being used on everything from countertops made to look like solid slabs of travertine, to showers resembling solid pieces of travertine with inlay designs.

"These are solid and seamless," Evans explains of the countertops and showers. "There's no grout to worry about, and they're much easier to clean as a result."

Overlay walls are also steadily growing in popularity, thanks to Evans pointing out to his clients that concrete overlays are less expensive that Venetian plaster. "Most people just aren't aware of this product," he says. "But when I tell them we can do it for less, they're happy."

Showers can also be resurfaced with concrete overlays, and because the overlay can be applied directly over existing tile, this saves the client time and money. "There's no demolition, and they can get any look they want because it's hand done," Evans adds.

Evans laughs that most of his customers find him by mistake, but surely his ad in the Yellow Pages, as well as his website, has something to do with it. He even admits, "After I got the Internet site, I got three times more calls for decorative concrete work...the response was overwhelming."

That response has led to jobs in Mission Viejo, as well as the Temecula area, and Riverside, San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange counties. Though Craftsmanship Workshop used to do a lot of commercial work, in the last few years, residential has picked up, straying from the initial exterior to more interior work, where Evans says he can focus on the fine art aspect of decorative concrete.

"Interior [gives me] more artistic freedom," Evans explains. "It takes it to a new level. I can create a concrete overlay on a wall, ceiling and shower...The cabinet and millwork we do also lends itself to interior decorative concrete work." For example, often when Evans is called out to bid on millwork, he can end up selling a complete job—sinks, countertops, floors and more.

The company showroom is small, about 800 square feet, but it really packs a punch. "Nine out of 10 [customers] want to come down and look at samples," Evans says. "It's important for people to know there's a location, and they can see their work in progress."

Evans provides one-stop-shopping for his clients, offering both design and craftsmanship in one fell swoop. "People love that," he laughs. "It's a major plus."

Visit the Craftsman Workshop web site

More Contractor Features