press release archive 2006 press releases
Source: Pure Contemporary, August 2006
Click here to read more Modern Interviews in Pure Contemporary
What did you go to school for?
Fine Arts.
Ah that's why we see such a soft fine art aesthetic in your concrete, which could be massive, heavy and cold medium. But you add color and texture — talk to me about working with concrete.
We use the elements of practicality and creating of form like they do in industrial design, but we apply it sort of organically to this more earthy material. You can really change its form — add fossils, color, grind or not grind. The first countertop I ever built was for my own house – 25 years ago. It is very organic and almost sculptural. You can sculpt the concrete in a way that you can't do with granite and other materials.
Inspired by Precast Concrete, Designers Cast Personal Effects Into Permanent Kitchen Fixtures
Precast Solutions
Summer 2006
By Carol Brzozowski
Bits of CDs are embedded in a countertop at MTV's headquarters in New York City. In a residential bathroom in Indianapolis, a countertop inlaid with plastic brushes and combs is part of a stunning finish. Bathroom visitors at a Silicon Valley home wash their hands on a sink set in a countertop embedded with computer chips.
An artistic, personalized approach to countertops is all the rage, thanks to a precast concrete process developed years ago first to debut in the high-end consumer stratosphere but now reaching the middle class mass market.
Cheng Brings New Life to a Northern California Home
LOS GATOS, CA, July 2006 — Home renovations allow you to improve upon elements of a house that don't reflect your personal style; it's an opportunity for rebirth of the home. When Jackie Seymour and John Gaffney, owners of a Spanish mission-style, stucco-clad house in Northern California needed to address a leaky roof, what was supposed to have been only the replacement of the roof soon became a major overhaul of the entire house — ultimately resulting in renewed life of their home.
The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Reveals its Hall of Fame Inductees
April 12, 2006 – The National Kitchen & Bath Association has announced its inductees to one of the industry's most prestigious award programs: the Kitchen and Bath Industry Hall of Fame. The program recognizes kitchen and bath industry professionals for their outstanding service and long-term dedication to the industry. The 2006 inductees are Fu-Tung Cheng of Cheng Design in Berkeley, CA; Thompson Price of Callier & Thompson Kitchens & Baths in Manchester, MO; and Don and Kasnea Martin of Kasmar Publications in Palm Desert, CA.
Cheng Noted for Solid Contributions in Kitchen/Bath Industry
BERKELEY, CA, March 7, 2006 — In tribute to the industry leaders and legends over the past 50 years, Kitchen and Bath Business (K+BB) honored Fu-Tung Cheng — alongside such industry notables as Philippe Stark, HGTV, Home Depot, Architectural Digest, and Martha Stewart — as one of the top 50 influences in the kitchen and bath industry.
Concrete Countertop Products to Reach Wider Market
BERKELEY, CA, February 7, 2006 — Cheng Design Products announced the formation of a manufacturing and distribution partnership with Interstar Corporation. Interstar, a manufacturer of pigments, admixtures, fibers and other products for the concrete market, will manufacture and distribute Fu-Tung Cheng's proprietary line of concrete countertop mix products. Currently, these products are exclusively sold online at Cheng Concrete Exchange (www.concreteexchange.com).
Cheng Honors Best in Concrete Design Competition
January 31, 2006—Cheng Concrete Exchange announced the winners of its second annual Members' Circle of Distinction Design Challenge at the World of Concrete 2006 (WOC) in Las Vegas, NV. The industry's only concrete countertop design competition received 93 submissions resulting in a total of seven "Best" category winners, two Merit Awards, and 11 Honorable Mention recipients. The contest was open exclusively to Members of Cheng Concrete Exchange, an online resource and directory providing building professionals, designers, homeowners and do-it-yourselfers with training, design ideas, business opportunities, and a full line of concrete countertop products.
Cheng Concrete Exchange Raises Bar and Awareness of Concrete Countertops
January 2006—At the record-breaking World of Concrete 2006 (WOC) where 80,000 people gathered in Las Vegas, NV, Cheng Concrete Exchange's booth exhibit of sculptural concrete countertops was again a show favorite, drawing a non-stop stream of an estimated 6,000 visitors to the booth throughout the four-day event. In the 32-year history of the international tradeshow, this year's WOC was the largest yet with 1,800 exhibitors occupying over 800,000 net square feet, approximately 15% higher than 2005.
The Press-Enterprise
May 12, 2006
by Mark Schwartz
When Upland resident Phil Hurley remodeled his home in 2005 he decided his standard, tile kitchen countertop had to go.
Hurley recalled being impressed by the sleek, contemporary look of concrete countertops on display more than a year earlier at an expo.
He wound up at the doorstep of Derek Ellison, owner of Western Floor Decorating in Riverside.
Customization Increases Aesthetic Appeal and Real Estate Investment for Homeowners
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO—From top-dollar homes in the San Francisco Bay Area to sprawling mountain homes in the Colorado Rockies, discriminating homeowners are demanding custom designs and finishes in their kitchens. In particular, they are looking to express their individuality and distinct design preferences in their kitchens with the fast-growing design material of choice—concrete.
