An elegantly designed, bespoke concrete counter adds to the atmosphere at Kelowna’s Barn Owl Brewery, a local craft brewery company.

“Concrete as a medium has the sky as its limit,” explains Dueck. “There is so much you can do with it that sets it apart from others. Concrete – we can pour it in any shape, in any unique, unique shape. “

An exciting wave of new wineries, breweries, and distilleries is helping put Kelowna on the map, and the local concrete artisans, Versatile Concrete, look forward to doing their part in creating a distinctive look and feel for these businesses.

At the end of a busy year at the Kelowna-based custom concrete company amid turbulent global times, owner and craftsman Richard Dueck celebrates the mark Kelowna is making in the brewing and distillation industry.

“Kelowna is becoming a destination for all types of brewers, and the fact that there are so many of them just adds to that. Wine regions as an example exist successfully because you can see so many in one concentrated region, ”said Dueck.

In a rich landscape of wineries, breweries and distilleries, Dueck has helped companies express themselves in a unique way through bespoke concrete elements for Red Bird Brewing, Urban Distilleries, Office Brewery, Barn Owl Brewing and Crown and Thieves.

The answer to the reasons for individual concrete decor is simple: the versatility. “Concrete as a medium has the sky as its limit,” explains Dueck. “There is so much you can do with it that sets it apart from others. Concrete – we can pour it in any shape, in any unique, unique shape. “

It’s an effort to create and draw unique experiences with the help of local artisans. “Everyone wants to stand out and create something that will make people come back,” said Dueck. “That’s where we come in.”

When it comes to durability or concerns about scratches and stains, these potions also make a good decision when it comes to tasting or bar items. A proprietary finish leaves custom concrete counters with a sophisticated feel that is low maintenance and durable.

Beyond the breweries

At the same time, Dueck has seen an explosion of home improvement projects in his workshop, which he attributes to time at home during the pandemic. “People didn’t spend their travel budgets and doubled their home projects,” he said. “Your homes are so much more of a priority.”

One feature that Dueck has found more interest in is probably the coziest: the fireplace. “We are asked to come up with a lot of unique fireplace designs,” he said. With this increase, Dueck has invested time in research and development to create new, unique textures for custom concrete fireplace surrounds. “Our designers come to us with their inspiration and we add our own element and help them achieve that goal,” he explained. “We try to avoid patterns and repetitions so that each piece is unique.”

Just as Dueck previously noted an increasing demand for fire bowls made of concrete, these inquiries, according to the craftsman, reflect people’s need more than ever to get in touch with one another.

About versatile concrete

Versatile Concrete has 20 years of experience in bringing visions to life in precast concrete parts. Every artist has their medium and for this team it is a high strength proprietary concrete mix. Versatile Concrete’s specialty is bringing collaborative ideas to life.

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