What I got was 120 pages of marketing materials I could have gotten free at a home show. The photos are beautiful, the ideas are interesting, but there's almost not a single bit of practical help in there (the exceptions being pages 54,56-60). But there are plenty of references, one for every photo in fact, of which professional was responsible for each design/implementation, and in the back, handy contact information so you can hire them to do the job. In other words, I paid to look at their marketing materials. Decorating With Concrete Indoors: Fireplaces, Floors, Countertops, & More (Schiffer Book)
Excellent presentation of various types of decorative cement design. A great idea book, not designed to give one step by step instruction, but with this book a reader can tell what projects might be worth pursuing.
I'm not sure why this book got such a harsh review. It is true that every photo references the company that created it but why is that a bad idea. It makes it easy to get more information if you like the color or want to hire the person who did it. We acid stained our own floors and it came out great. Prior to buying the products we sought this book for ideas on what color stain to buy. It served that purpose well. There are plenty of concrete ideas for counters, floors and fireplaces. This is NOT an instruction manual, it offers no information on how to duplicate the photos that you see. If you buy it for inspiration only you will be satisfied.
"Decorating with Concrete Indoors" by Tina Skinner and The Concrete Network is a beautifully presented collection of color photographs of interior concrete projects, and as such it's very valuable for envisioning projects, methods, and techniques. It is not an instruction book, so people interested in do it yourself projects with a clear vision of their project (or contractors) would be better served by a different book.
The book does feature some basic text describing potential applications and techniques; this combined with the photos makes for a good introduction to the material. There is a handy resource list in the back of the volume which lets you get in touch with the people who created the works in the book, and mercifully, they are widely distributed across the country. I was especially taken with the illustrations of work from FormWorks, Skookum Floors, and Sonoma Cast Stone (I especially liked the look of laser-cut metal embedded in finished concrete.)
If you are considering using concrete in an indoor project I recommend the book, but realize that it's long on illustrations, and short on the technicalities of fabricating, installing, or finishing the actual concrete. If you want to envision possibilities, this is a worthwhile purchase.
I'm a concrete contractor and I found this book great for ideas for precast projects. Designs are unique. If you are looking for materials on how to get started in decorative concrete, I would suggest any of Cheng's books.
I am designing my counter top and needed ideas on styles and colors. Plus this also had some great floor designs. In reading the previous reviews, I bought it for the reason that most reviewer's did not like it. All the great pictures. I do not want a DIY project. I am hiring a local contractor to do all the dirty work.
This book is nothing more then a collection of photos. no how-to or process content. Poorly edited. Here is a sample from page 16(notice the repetition and use of courtesy four(4) times: "A thin veneer of concrete was treated to give this kitchen its ultra-contemporary feel, with the dramatic use of acid etching. The deep colors acheived by this process added depth and dimension . Coutesy of Courtesy of Action Concrete Services thin veneer of concrete was treated to give this kitchen its ultra-contemporary feel, with the dramatic use of acid etching. The deep colors acheived by this process added depth and dimension . Coutesy of Courtesy of Action Concrete Services - Decorating - Concrete Design - Home Design - Home Improvement'
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