press release archive 2005 press releases
Through the Thick and Thin of Building a Concrete Countertop
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, August 2005 — Concrete countertops, recognized first by architects and designers for their aesthetic potential and project versatility, are fast-becoming the answer to homeowners' demands for a relatively inexpensive countertop alternative that doesn't require a high-level of expertise to install. In addition, they offer homeowners an exciting opportunity to literally try their hand at being creative. Step-by-step books, videos and hands-on training are now readily available for homeowners to confidently engage in such do-it-yourself (DIY) projects as building concrete countertops.
Following up on a successful first year, the second annual NKBA MasterClass Conference, held in San Francisco, California, brought together kitchen and bath professionals from around the globe!
The conference, presented by Kitchen + Bath Designer magazine, the National Kitchen & Bath Association, and sponsored by Planit, a leading kitchen and bath design software company, challenged designers to reach new heights in the art of design through a series of inspirational seminars led by world-renowned design masters.
Elegant Fireplace Surrounds Concrete Takes Its Place
at the Heart of the Home
Concrete Decor - Click here to view article in Concrete Decor October/November 2005
by Amy Johnson
Interior decorative concrete is all the rage for countertops, floors and bathtubs, but nowhere does it pack more design punch than in fireplace surrounds and hearths. Fireplaces are inherently the "heart of the home," and a striking concrete surround takes that role to a higher level. "You can make concrete forms look more three-dimensional and massive than wood," says Buddy Rhodes of Buddy Rhodes Studio in San Francisco. "The fireplace has a presence in the room — it becomes the dominant force."
Homeowners Discover that the Material Can Be More than a Foundation
The Fresno Bee
August 27, 2005
by Nzong Xiongby
Judy and Byron Gabrielsen like the simplicity, the angles and the sleekness that often typify contemporary style.
Add in flavors from the tropics and Asia, and their home — from wicker furniture with large floral prints to a silver glass curio cabinet — is a mix of what they call "casual contemporary."
Fu-Tung Cheng Turns Concrete Into an Art Form and Builds a National Reputation
Sacramento Bee
Saturday, May 7, 2005
by Bob Sylva
First, a story that sounds like a fable.
When he was 7, Fu-Tung Cheng's mother led him and his four older brothers to a bank along the Los Angeles River. Each boy carried an empty rice sack. Fu-Tung led the way with a flashlight.
They filled the sacks with sand. Later, they went to Redondo Beach and gathered pebbles. They returned to their farmhouse in Van Nuys. And their mother mixed a batch of concrete. Poured the family driveway. It was a recipe of rare ambition with pie-crust results.
The San Francisco Chronicle
Friday, April 1, 2005
by Paul Kilduff
Think "concrete," and repaving your driveway is probably at the top of your list of its applications. Not so for Albany designer Fu-Tung Cheng and his firm Cheng Design. They build homes and remodel with concrete. Cheng has also written two books about using the substance and even sells the ingredients needed to do it.
Cheng's love affair with the wet gray stuff began more than 30 years ago when, fresh out of UC Berkeley's Fine Arts Department, he found himself the owner of a dilapidated Albany Victorian bungalow in need of plenty of TLC. With little more than his keen artist's sensibility and hard work, Cheng's house became not only a project, but his construction classroom. Soon he was remodeling other people's houses full time, but it got old fast.
The Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Saturday, March 26, 2005
by William Loeffler
Today's kitchens seem to have everything except beds. "People are spending more time in kitchens," says Paul Ryan, host of "Kitchen Renovations," which airs at 10 p.m. Wednesdays on the DIY Network. "Kitchens years ago used to be white walls and three appliances and a counter." Today's kitchens are a destination rather than a stop on the way to the dining room. Many feature comforts typically found in a living room or den, which help create an inviting environment where hosts can entertain their guests.
Innovative Forms and Finishes Give New Life to an Old Material
The Christian Science Monitor
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
by Clayton Collins
Among the fine finishing materials available to builders and remodelers there are some established stars: Corian, tile, and granite each have their boosters. Just eye the neighbors' new kitchen countertops to see which is in vogue.
But when the stone dust settles later this decade, don't be surprised to see the warm patina of ... concrete.
It's not only counters. Think half walls and columns, bathtubs and sinks. The popularity of decorative forms of concrete - a material that may still evoke the image of a Politburo building or parking garage - has firmly set on the West Coast and now crept east.
The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky
Sunday, March 12, 2005
by Catherine Murrell
Name: Fu-Tung Cheng.
Position: Founder of Cheng Design and Construction in Berkeley, California, and author, most recently of Concrete at Home (The Taunton Press, March 2005, $32).
Resume: Cheng opened his design firm in 1987. He is also the author of Concrete Countertops (The Taunton Press, 2002). He coordinates the Cheng Concrete Exchange, an online resource for information on interior concrete.
Quote: "Although concrete has often been relegated to the role of understudy, it's a great actor. It can take the starring role."
Q: Concrete has developed a reputation as a merely utilitarian building material. Why should homeowners give it a second look?
A: Historically, concrete has been used expressively all over the place. If you open your eyes to concrete, you'll start noticing it. You'll see these Art Deco edifices with these neat patterns and carvings. Most people now think they're stone, but they're actually concrete. At the turn of the century, concrete was a vibrant expressive material used for finishes. It was the new high-tech material. Dynamic designers like Frank Lloyd Wright began using concrete in really creative ways. During World War II and the '50s, modernism came, and there was a stripping away of all these decorative elements — of the wedding-cake kind of floral designs and the Art Deco graphic designs that had been expressed in concrete. Then, for a 25-, even 40-year period, concrete became an understudy. It was always covered with something else — it was the subfloor. It was used structurally but not used as a finish material.
The New Orleans Times — Picayune
Saturday, March 05, 2005
by Jane Dupuy
Over the past decade, "green building" has become a buzzword. It refers to using sustainable materials and creating healthier and more resource-efficient environments. Concrete fits right in with that movement. Concrete, valued for its strength and durability, is a mixture of cement, water and aggregates. It is low-maintenance and produces minimal waste. More relevant to our area, when concrete is used for its exterior, a building may fare better against hurricanes. Concrete floors can survive a flood, whereas wood floors are ruined. For those who think of concrete as a cold, gray material with little aesthetic appeal, a whole new wave of artists, architects and designers are making elegant and graceful buildings and interiors from this ugly-duckling material.
NKBA Chapter Meeting Held at Cheng Concrete Shop
BERKELEY, CA — For the first time ever, on Thursday, August 18th, designer Fu-Tung Cheng rolled back the industrial doors of his concrete fabrication shop and welcomed fellow designers and fabricators for a complete tour and design presentation on his proprietary line of concrete countertops, GeocreteTM. Cheng hosted the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) Northern California Chapter meeting at this special, limited space event.
Cheng Concrete Exchange Stirs up Interest at WOC 2005
LAS VEGAS , NV , January 2005 – Cheng Concrete Exchange kicked off the year at the World of Concrete 2005 (WOC) with overwhelming booth attendance and genuine interest in concrete counter tops. Dozens of professionals in the concrete industry gathered at Concrete Exchange’s booth throughout the week for a chance to see and touch the smooth, glass-like surfaces of Fu-Tung Cheng’s sculptural concrete countertops.
