When you live in Tennessee and you’ve got clients with a bare kitchen who also like to entertain and enjoy their adult beverages, a Jack Daniels theme seemed like a natural fit. When Dusty Baker of Stone-Crete suggested this to his clients who live near the distillery, “their eyes lit up,” he says. In addition to the concrete countertop, backsplash and island, Baker also built the tables and cabinetry over about a year’s time. The job was completed in late 2015.
Baker’s been working with concrete about 10 years, originally doing marble and tile work, and now teaches his “Dusty Crete” method through Brandon Gore’s Concrete Design School. He uses Buddy Rhodes products to create the rustic, imperfect finish that complements the furniture Baker makes using reclaimed wood.
“It’s not like a spray-up finish with a flawless look,” he says. “Basically, I’m creating imperfections and then there’s a series of finishes I do that highlights the imperfections and that gives it the look.”
Baker had to do some “sweet talking” at the distillery to get the two Jack Daniels barrels that anchor the 14-by-3-foot horseshoe-shaped island with two 6-foot wings. The color comes from a series of applications using Buddy Rhodes’ Leather and Black glazes applied to a base that’s half white and half gray.
Baker tooled the edging, leaving it looking distressed. A concrete backsplash is installed on a radius inlaid with a tree that the clients have adopted as their family crest. Baker also created an oversized farm sink that’s big enough to hold 5-gallon buckets.
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