Decorative Concrete, color and design

I hear lots of stories from Decorative Concrete Contractors and artisans about clients who start out excited about the prospect of their new decorative concrete floor. When complete many are dissatisfied because of reasons like

1. It doesn’t look like the magazine

2. There is too much variation

3. There is too little variation.

4. I wanted it darker

5. I wanted it lighter

6. It doesn’t look like the floor in ……

The fact is that most people have been programmed to expect factory made products. Go to the store pick out a tile and that’s it. Concrete is a bit different, its unique and made by man. It is not perfect or maybe it is. It has to do with your opinion.

Stained and colored concrete has many assets and benefits which is part of another story.

Due in large part to the concrete sealers a decorative concrete floor picks up colors from objects in a room. Lighting is an important factor. Wall color makes huge difference in the appearance.

The amount of natural light gives a different appearance than during the night.

If you look at the picture below you will see a basic gray concrete overlay. The overlay by itself, unfurnished looked good but not great. Now with the proper lighting and furnishings it looks excellent. The highly successful retailer, Homeward Bound, was seeking a specific image and its working. The same floor in another environment may not be as effective.

I have seen many floors that are excellent but the client isn’t content. That is until the room is finished and a friend or client comes in and says “I love your floor, who did it”.

Then the client perks up and says ”its beautiful isn’t it!”

The moral of the story is that decorative concrete floors can have great results depending on the design. We typically find the happiest customers are those who understand the benefit of proper design.

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