Why Concrete Is So Fascinating to Work With

Concrete, metal, and wood are the three materials Modern Craftsman works with for the most part. Concrete is at the top of the list. It is one of the most fascinating materials when it comes to creating functional works of art. Few materials have the same personality and characteristics. Few are as simultaneously simple and complex.

We turn concrete into everything from residential countertops to furniture for commercial spaces. We do so through a process that looks eerily similar to reverse engineering. In other words, we start with what the customer ultimately hopes to achieve then work backward from there. Making it all work with concrete is both challenging and rewarding.

Concrete Isn't Consistent

Concrete appears to be a very consistent material to the naked eye. But it's not. Concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, an aggregate (like sand), and water. Yet how you mix those three ingredients is critical. Heat and humidity also have a significant impact on the material.

All of this is to say that working with concrete is no more consistent than the material itself. We might find working on a concrete project simple and largely problem-free one day, only to turn around and encounter failure after failure the next. Such is the nature of this particular material.

One day we might add too much water in anticipation of high temperatures that never materialize. The next day, our mixture can be absolutely perfect. It flows into its form and cures perfectly with almost no effort. The next day, that same formula just refuses to set up or cure.

Challenging and Satisfying

As artists and technicians, the Modern Craftsman team finds concrete both challenging and satisfying. It is challenging in the sense that concrete is already a difficult material without trying to use it to create custom designs for which it was never intended. It is satisfying in that we feel a profound sense of pride and accomplishment whenever a project is fully completed.

We have found that our customers also get a great deal of satisfaction from concrete. It is a material that we don't often think of in terms of art. And when it comes to function, our brains think of concrete as a material for bridges, roads, and warehouse floors. Custom sinks and tubs rarely come to mind.

Seeing a piece of functional concrete art for the first time is incredibly satisfying. A commercial property owner will be left speechless by the concrete sinks we are installing in the restrooms of their building. Meanwhile, a residential customer on the other side of town is amazed by the custom concrete countertops we installed last week.

Always Something New

Perhaps the best thing about concrete as a material for functional art is that it always affords the opportunity to do something new. There are things we can do with concrete that could not be accomplished with metal or wood. Concrete allows us to push the envelope in everything from shape to texture and color.

Here at Modern Craftsman, we have an appreciation for honest materials. What do we mean by that? We mean that we want the materials we use to be authentic in their presentation. We do not want to manipulate the materials to make them look like something they are not. That is a big temptation when it comes to concrete. Yet after many years of building great pieces from concrete, we have come to understand just what a fantastic material it really is. We don't need to be anything less than totally honest with it.

Have You Ever Considered Concrete Wall Panels?

Take a look around your home or office. It is a safe bet that the majority of the walls within your visual field are either drywall or wood. Both materials have their pros and cons. Both represent choices property owners need to have at their disposal. But they aren't the only two choices around. For instance, have you ever considered concrete wall panels?

Concrete is one of our favorite materials. In terms of wall panels, concrete gives us the opportunity to turn walls into functional pieces of art with an incredible beauty that stands on its own merits. Combining concrete with metal takes things to the next level.

Cheap, Easy, and Artistically Safe

Drywall is arguably the most popular material for wall construction in the U.S. There are three reasons for this. First, drywall is cheap to manufacture. You create your gypsum mixture, press it between two layers of paper, and let it cure. Mass production makes it possible to produce tons of drywall for next to nothing.

Second, drywall is extremely easy to work with. Drywall hangers can measure, cut, and install drywall in short order. A week is typical for new home construction. As for finishing, skilled craftsmen need only a week to come in and finish up behind the hangers.

Finally, drywall is artistically safe. It is essentially a flat canvas ready for painters and trim carpenters. Builders don't have to take chances with it. As long as they give buyers the right colors and enough wood to break up the monotony, they are happy.

So, what about concrete? It is comparatively affordable. However, it is not as easy to work with. It's also artistically distinct. A concrete wall panel looks nothing like a piece of finished drywall. It has significantly more character – character that makes concrete such a wonderful choice for wall panels.

Concrete Has Visual Depth

A big part of the character of any room is visual depth. Rooms outfitted with drywall have to get their depth from other sources. So interior designers rely on furnishings and artwork. The walls are merely functional. We change that with concrete wall panels.

Since concrete offers organic visual depth, it also adds character. Concrete wall panels are as artistically stimulating as they are functional. When you choose concrete, you don't need as much artwork on the walls. You also don't have to rely so heavily on furnishings to create the character you're looking for. Concrete wall panels offer enough depth and character to anchor any room.

More Subtle Than Brick or Wood

In times past, designers turned to brick and wood paneling to add more depth and character to walls. Both materials certainly do the trick. However, brick and wood paneling can be visually obtrusive. Brick can be so overwhelming that people choose to paint over it rather than keep it honest.

As for wood paneling, that trend has mercifully faded away. Today, wood as an artistic element for walls generally translates into things like shiplap and wainscoting. It is rare to see rooms with walls covered entirely in wood paneling.

One of the things we so appreciate about concrete is that it is more subtle than brick and wood. Concrete wall panels offer depth and character without overwhelming the senses. They blend into the space rather than becoming the center of attention, like brick and wood paneling so often do.

If you are thinking of remodeling or building from scratch, have you ever considered concrete wall panels? We invite you to think about it. Concrete wall panels may turn out to be the perfect choice for your aesthetic preferences.

Why the Ramp Sink Is So Appealing

Concrete countertops and concrete sinks are among my most requested functional art pieces. With the local Salt Lake City housing market as strong as it is, homeowners are looking for modern upgrades to both existing homes and new builds. I am happy to oblige. Still, I cannot help but ponder why the ramp sink is so appealing these days.

A ramp sink is just one of many options. It is normally reserved for the bathroom, as the demands of cleaning up the kitchen generally require deeper sinks. I have installed ramp sinks in numerous homes as well as a few commercial settings. The ramp sink just seems to have universal appeal.

A Clean, Modern Look

Assuming most of my clients see functional art the same way I do, the ramp sink's primary appeal is aesthetic. Ramp sinks offer a clean, modern look that fits in very nicely with today's minimalist design. It is the perfect choice for a modern bath featuring a custom-made tub and other modern pieces.

It goes without saying that the ramp sink's name is derived from this design. Rather than featuring a bowl with a center drain, a ramp sink is designed in the shape of a ramp. The ramp slopes downward from front to back. As for the drain, it is implemented as a slit at the bottom of the ramp. With the right design, a ramp sink's drain can be nearly invisible at a casual glance.

My preferred material for ramp sinks is concrete. Of course, I prefer concrete for countertops and floors as well. But I know of other craftsmen who create ramp sinks with stone resin, marble, granite, and quartz. Each material offers its pros and cons. Among concrete's pros are cost and the ability to customize.

Easier to Keep Clean

One could argue that the ramp sink is appealing because it is easier to keep clean. I suppose that would be a matter of personal experience, but easier cleaning makes sense given the shape. Gravity plays a much bigger role with a ramp sink, and there is less surface area on which dirt and debris can collect.

With a bowl sink, gravity still works in your favor as long as the water is running. But bowl sinks can also collect water and debris at the bottom. With a ramp sink, there is no real place for water collection. Not only that, but you also have the physics of kinetic energy guaranteeing that most of what hits the sink will flow down to the drain.

You still have to clean a ramp sink on a regular basis. But with the right materials, it isn't a chore. A little cleaner with a sponge and some warm water does the trick. Really, the only thing you have to worry about is staining your sink. However, that's another topic for another blog post.

Custom Concrete Sinks

One of the advantages I offer is the ability to make custom concrete sinks to your exact specifications. The same applies to my concrete countertops. When you commission me to create your pieces, you are not settling for off-the-shelf products sold by your local home improvement store. You're commissioning something designed and made to order. I think that's a big deal.

Are you looking to redo your bath? Are you building a custom home from the ground up? Either way, just know that ramp sinks are one of the hottest trends in modern baths. I can design and install one in your home. Give me a shout and let's talk about your vision. I can help make it reality.

Metalworking: Is It an Art, a Craft, or Both?

What is metalworking, exactly? We know it is not just cutting sheets of metal and fastening them together. It involves a number of disciplines ranging from casting to welding and grinding. What we are not quite sure of is whether metalworking is technically an art or craft. It could be both.

As a master craftsman, I love working with metal. Concrete and wood are fine finishing materials in their own right. But there's something special about metal. Its color and finish are mesmerizing. Its visual texture adds a primitive element to every piece. Indeed, it possesses a unique beauty that cannot be matched by any other material.

None of what we know about metal answers the primary question. To get an answer, perhaps we have to temporarily set metalworking aside and look at the difference between art and a craft.

What Is Art?

Art is defined in many ways. The one thing nearly all definitions have in common is its purpose. By design, art is intended to be expressive work. It is intended to be appreciated for its aesthetic appeal and emotional power. A good piece of art moves those who see it in some way. It might move some people positively and others negatively.

With that definition in mind, certain pieces made by experienced metalworkers can be considered art. Indeed, there are genuine artists whose only medium is metal. They do with metal what a painter does with watercolors or oils.

Perhaps few would argue that a metal sculpture created with the same mindset as one carved from stone constitutes art. Where this gets tricky is the arena of functional art. This is what I do. I use materials like metal, concrete, and wood to create pieces that are artistically beautiful and simultaneously functional. Do my metal pieces constitute art, or are they functional only?

What Is a Craft?

A craft can be defined in one of two ways. First, a craft is a highly specialized skill utilized to make things. Second, it is the process of making such things using one's skill and knowledge. Metalworking certainly applies. Metalworking is a broad practice covering a range of disciplines, as previously mentioned. Each one of those disciplines requires a certain level of specialized skill.

The definition of a craft certainly suggests that my metal creations qualify. I make things using knowledge and skills not everyone possesses. Moreover, what I do is not easy. It takes a lot of time to learn. It takes many years of practice to perfect. Still, would you consider any of my metal pieces art? I do.

Every piece I produce, regardless of the materials I choose, is art. But it is also the result of a craft. I guess the point I am trying to make is that metalworking doesn't have to be defined as one or the other. It shouldn't be defined as one or the other. Metalworking is both an art and a craft.

What Is Functional Art?

Perhaps the whole issue of art versus craft boils down to the fact that craftsmen like me create functional art. It might be difficult for people commissioning a piece of metal furniture to think of it as art. Likewise for concrete and wood. On the other hand, I work with plenty of clients who, upon receiving the finished piece, remark about how breathtakingly beautiful it is. Clearly, they were moved by my work, which is one of the qualifications of art.

Metalworking as functional art combines the best of craftsmanship with the exhilarating appeal of artistic beauty. It is something I'm quite passionate about. Hopefully, you are too.

Can Custom Home Furniture Be Open to Interpretation?

One of the best things about being in this business is having the opportunity to help erase the lines between art and function. It's exhilarating to sit with people and talk about custom home furniture, for example. You ask how they would interpret one piece or another. Then you walk them through the process of understanding that furniture doesn't have to be purely functional.

If you've ever watched Antiques Roadshow on PBS, you're probably familiar with the concept of appraisers looking at old furniture in terms of its aesthetics. Craftsmanship certainly plays a role in the appraisal process, but aesthetic is often that which puts a piece over the top. Well, guess what? It doesn't apply exclusively to antique furniture.

One of the things we specialize in is custom home furniture, primarily in wood, though we also work with concrete and metal. We design furniture as artwork. It is fully functional furniture – no need to worry about that – but it also offers a level of aesthetic beauty that makes it suitable for any gallery showing.

In the Eye of the Beholder

You have heard that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The principle is as true for art as it is for physical appearance. That's where interpretation plays a big role. You might commission us to make custom home furniture designed to complement the overall aesthetic of your home. You might interpret the finished product one way, while some of your guests interpret it another way.

Maybe you were aiming for furniture that combines your love of nature with your passion for minimalism. The pieces we produced fit the bill perfectly. But then you have visitors over. They love your furniture too, but they see something completely different. They interpret it as your recognition of modern, contemporary architecture.

You and your visitors see the same furniture through different eyes. That's not a bad thing. In fact, it's good. That's how you know a piece of artwork reaches people at multiple levels. If it can be interpreted in different ways by multiple people, you have a piece with genuine depth.

Building Exactly What You Want

Furniture as art is something we are truly passionate about. However, we fully understand the need to make furniture functional. There really is no point filling a home with furniture pieces that have no use other than sitting and collecting dust. So with that in mind, we work closely with clients to give them exactly what they want.

Each piece we make is carefully thought out long before a single piece of wood is cut. We go through a well-defined process to design, adjust, and finalize plans. Only then do we begin building. At every step of the way, we make a concerted effort to achieve that perfect balance between functionality and aesthetic beauty.

Designed and Built to Order

You should also know that all of our custom home furnishings are made to order. Modern Craftsman does not utilize any form of mass production to create art. If you are looking for mass production furniture, there are plenty of furniture stores with excellent products. They are a better option in this situation. But if you want custom-made, one-of-a-kind pieces that are as beautiful as they are functional, we are here to design and build it for you.

Can custom home furniture be open to interpretation? Yes, when it's conceived and designed as functional art. That's what we do here at Modern Craftsman. If you are looking for furniture that is as aesthetically beautiful as it is functional, let's talk. Let us make your dreams reality.

Top‌ ‌5‌ ‌Reasons‌ ‌to‌ ‌Love‌ ‌Concrete‌ ‌Countertops‌

Concrete countertops are fascinating in the sense that they seem to wax and wane in terms of popularity. They are the hottest thing in residential construction for a few years, then nobody wants them. Then they make a surprising come back just a few years later.

So where do we stand now? Concrete countertops are enjoying a resurgence, especially with new construction in the Salt Lake City area. That is good news for us here at Modern Craftsman. It may be good news for you, too. If you are building a new home or thinking about remodeling your kitchen, here are the top five reasons to love concrete countertops:

1. They Are Aesthetically Unique

As creators of functional art, aesthetic beauty is almost always at the top of our list. Concrete is a wonderful material in that it's aesthetically unique. There is no other material in the world that looks quite like it. On the other hand, laminate countertops are dime a dozen. If you've seen one, you've seen them all.

On the other hand, concrete countertops can be individualized by way of stains, dyes, and textures. You can have something that looks and feels completely unique. You can have a concrete countertop that is exclusively yours in every sense.

2. They Age Quite Gracefully

We always recommend sealing concrete countertops to protect against chips, cracks, and major stains. Yet concrete is still a porous substance. There is no way to guarantee a concrete countertop will still look brand-new years down the road. But that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Concrete ages quite gracefully if it is poured and finished the right way. And just like a good piece of wood or metal work, concrete does patina. Believe it or not, there are plenty of people who think aged concrete countertops look far better than brand-new. Who are we to argue?

3. They Are Durable

Concrete countertops may be prone to cracks and chips, but there is no countertop surface that is 100% guaranteed to remain unblemished forever. Every construction material has its weaknesses. As for concrete, it is quite durable. It can stand up to an awful lot of punishment over many years of service. And when cracks and chips do appear, they are easily repaired. You don't have to replace the entire surface.

4. They Make Great Work Surfaces

As concrete is heavy, it offers a solid service on which to do your kitchen work. That may be important if you are the kind of person who doesn't like to feel things moving underneath you. Concrete offers a solid surface for kneading bread dough, chopping nuts, or cutting vegetables.

When all of your work is done, properly finished concrete cleans up easily. A little soapy water and a soft cloth does the trick. You clean up in no time and you're on your way.

5. They Are Perfect for the Modern Kitchen

Personally, we think concrete countertops are perfect for the modern kitchen. They work very well with stainless steel appliances and both tile and concrete floors. They work well with modern cabinetry that emphasizes straight, clean lines and neutral colors. And because concrete countertops can be stained or dyed to create virtually any look, complementing a modern paint scheme is a piece of cake.

Concrete countertops may not be for everyone. They may take some to get used to if you have never experienced them before. But at the end of the day, concrete is a great material for designing custom countertops that offer the function you need with the aesthetic beauty you want.

A Custom Fireplace as the Centerpiece of Your Home

There was a time when bringing fire into the home was a necessity. It was a matter of survival. Back then, the fireplace was the center of the home because it provided both heat and a means of cooking. These days, fireplaces are more aesthetic than anything else. Yet a fireplace can still be the centerpiece of your home.

The Modern Craftsman team does a lot of work with custom fireplaces for both living rooms and external spaces. Some of our best work revolves around designing and installing fireplaces we consider functional works of art. Perhaps you've seen some of the photos here on our website. If not, we encourage you to take a look.

A Place for Family

Back when fireplaces were built into homes out of necessity, space where the fireplace was located was also the family's main living space. Parents would gather with their children around the fire in the evening. They would enjoy a good meal and one another's company. There were always stories to tell and laughs to be had. Occasionally, parental wisdom was dispensed. 

Likewise, a custom fireplace from Modern Craftsman can be a gathering place for your family, as well. Imagine sitting in front of a crackling fire and discussing your day. Imagine sharing your hopes and dreams over a hot cup of tea or cocoa.

There is something uniquely special about staring into the depths of a fireplace to watch the flames and embers dance around. It can be mesmerizing. A custom fireplace built as a functional piece of art takes that experience to the next level.

A Place for Entertaining

Are you the type of person who loves to entertain? If so, there is no need to keep a custom fireplace all to yourself. That same space where your immediate family gathers can become prime entertainment space whenever you have friends or extended family members over.

A custom fireplace can be a great centerpiece for conversation. Indeed, the fireplaces we design are often conversation starters. People are so enamored with the artistic beauty that they cannot help but ask questions. Best of all, a cozy room with a custom fireplace tends to make people comfortable enough to sit around and enjoy long conversations.

If You Can Dream It…

Now that we've established just how a custom fireplace can be the centerpiece of your home, you might be wondering if we can truly build what you're thinking of. In a word, yes. If you can dream it, we can make it reality. We specialize in combining a variety of building materials with our understanding of art to create pieces no one else has created.

Is minimalism your thing? We can make it happen. A tall fireplace with a concrete facade and straight, clean lines will make your great room pop. If that's not what you're after, maybe a more intricate design is more to your liking. Just tell us what you're thinking.

Modern Craftsman has been a part of making Salt Lake City homes living pieces of art for many years. Founded by craftsmen and artisan Tyler Blaine, we prioritize locally sourced and earth friendly materials we can transform into pieces that perfectly capture the heart and soul of those who commission them.

If your home is in need of an artistic centerpiece that encapsulates the essence of who you are, we invite you to consider a custom fireplace. Fireplaces have historically been centerpieces by necessity. Today, they are centerpieces by intent. Let Modern Craftsman turn your intent into a functional piece of art you'll be proud to show off.

5 Reasons Custom Home Furniture Is So Popular

It would be reasonable to assume that the U.S. furniture market is not doing so well thanks to the economic slowdown created by the coronavirus crisis. Truth be told though is that furniture manufacturers and retailers are doing quite well. Even companies like ours, companies that create custom home furniture as an alternative to factory-made pieces, are as busy as ever.

Right now, the U.S. furniture market is worth in excess of $233 billion annually. The global market is worth more than $509 billion. Revenues are definitely being driven by corporate furniture producers and well-known brands like IKEA. But they cannot compete with custom home furniture among truly discriminating homeowners.

We build custom home furniture because our customers throughout the Salt Lake City area want it. Why do they want it? Check out these five reasons custom home furniture is so popular:

1. Get Exactly What You Want

The whole point of custom building anything is to get exactly what you want. That is important to people who want their homes to be more than just living spaces. They want their homes to be extensions of who they are as people. Custom furnishings are one piece of that puzzle.

When you have your furniture custom-made, it can be whatever you want it to be. You imagine it and a company like Modern Craftsman builds it. There are very few concepts we cannot make reality given the time, resources, and budget.

2. Your Choice of Materials

Corporate furniture makers limit themselves to a select number of materials for efficiency's sake. That's fine. We get the fact that making furniture in a factory limits your options. No such limits exist in the realm of custom furniture. You can choose wood, metal, concrete, or just about anything else that suits you.

3. Furniture That Fits Perfectly

Next, it can be difficult to find factory-made furniture that fits well inside your home. You might be looking at one sofa that is simply too big. Unfortunately, almost every other sofa is too small. A custom-made piece solves that problem.

Custom home furniture fits every room in your home. From living room to dining room and the master bedroom suite, everything is made to order. Everything is made with an eye on the size of the overall space, how you use that space, and how furniture pieces relate to one another.

4. Match Your Unique Style

Many of our Salt Lake City clients choose custom furniture because it is the only way they can get pieces that reflect their style. These are typically homeowners whose homes are somewhat unique as well. For example, a newly built modern home in the 9th and 9th neighborhood just might not look right with production furniture from a factory. Only custom furniture designed specifically for that house will do.

5. Guaranteed Quality and Craftsmanship

Finally, custom home furniture is popular because homeowners know they are getting guaranteed quality and craftsmanship. They are trusting factory workers at a facility located thousands of miles away. Factory furniture can be very high-quality – do not misunderstand the point – but working with a custom builder guarantees you know where your furniture is coming from, who is building it, and so forth. You can be an active participant in guaranteeing its quality.

Custom home furniture isn't for everyone. But for those for whom factory-made furniture just isn't good enough, custom pieces are the answer. Modern Craftsman would be honored by the opportunity to design and build furniture for your home. Contact us to learn more about what we can do for you.

Concrete Surfaces Don't Have to Be Smooth

Concrete is a funny thing. If you go online and investigate problems people have when pouring their own concrete, you find that smooth surfaces can be difficult to achieve. The thing is that so many people assume a concrete surface has to be smooth. But why? How many genuinely smooth surfaces do we find in nature?

To those of us here at Modern Craftsman, concrete is a medium with both structural and artistic applications. A pure engineer looks at concrete as a building material capable of withstanding significant loads. A pure artist sees concrete as a means of sculpting. We are neither engineers nor artists, exclusively. We are both.

As such, we understand that smooth surfaces are generally an aesthetic preference for concrete. A smooth surface rarely adds structural integrity. In fact, textured surfaces can add a significant amount of aesthetic integrity that is hard to achieve any other way.

Stamped Concrete Flooring

The idea of a textured concrete surface isn't as obscure you might think. You have likely seen concrete patios and sidewalks textured with an etched pattern. Contractors do this sort of thing in order to improve the surface for walking during inclement weather. But let's take that concept indoors.

Stamped concrete flooring can do much the same thing. Take a Salt Lake City commercial building with concrete floors. Concrete with a high-gloss finish becomes slippery when exposed to water and certain chemicals. Stamping the concrete adds texture and improves grip. But it can do something else as well: it can turn an otherwise plain concrete floor into a stunning work of art.

That's what we strive to do. Modern Craftsman exists to create functional works of art in both residential and commercial settings. Your concrete floor should be as beautiful to look at as it is strong enough to carry loads. It should speak to you as you walk into the space. It should grab your attention and fuel your imagination.

A Tactile Experience

Some works of art are not purely visual. They are tactile as well. So once again, smooth services are not mandatory for anything from concrete countertops to patio furniture. The right texture can create a tactile experience that changes everything.

Imagine standing in your kitchen, hands comfortably resting on textured concrete countertops. You are fondly recalling that big family gathering you held the month before. With your eyes closed and your hands gently moving back and forth across the texture, you are bringing back memories of something that will live in your mind forever. Every time you touch that counter, you will remember.

Tactile art is somewhat unique in that it engages a part of the mind that visual stimuli alone cannot touch. So yes, textured concrete can be incredibly beautiful to look at. But combine the senses of vision and touch and everything changes. Suddenly, the tactile experience takes what you see to a different level.

Works of Art in Salt Lake City

The Modern Craftsman team is proud to create works of art in Salt Lake City. We see every project as an opportunity to collaborate with the client to meet their needs and expectations. We desire to do more than just design and install functional pieces. We want to go beyond function to explore form as well.

It is our belief that function and form do not have to be juxtaposed. Creative art does not have to give way to practical use. Both can exist together in everything from flooring to furniture and fireplaces. We have proven as much throughout Salt Lake City and beyond.

Sealing vs. Coating Wood: The Difference Is Remarkable

Wood offers an appealing and unique aesthetic unlike any other building material. Different types of wood display their own unique properties. But even within a single wood type, there are variations from one piece to the next. This uniqueness influences our preference for all-natural sealers rather than wood coatings.

Some craftsmen may not draw a distinction between sealers and coatings. We do. Moreover, Modern Craftsman has made a commitment to only use all-natural sealers. We want to ensure that our use of wood stays true to the natural world as much as possible.

Sealing vs. Coating

Sealers are not normally well-defined on woodworking websites. In light of that, you could be forgiven for assuming that all sealers and coatings are the same. They are not. Moreover, the fact that you can use a variety of materials to finish wood furniture and floors doesn't necessarily imply that all of these materials act as sealers.

A sealer is designed to penetrate the porous surface of the wood, thereby protecting against moisture. Needless to say, wood and moisture do not get along. Unprotected wood is subject to all sorts of problems ranging from rot to pest infestation. Sealer limits such problems.

A wood coating may possess some sealing properties, but its main purpose is aesthetic. Wood products can be coated with varnish, shellac, stain, paint, and more. The one thing they all have in common is their tendency to cover. And when you cover wood, you take away its aesthetic appeal.

Bringing Out Natural Beauty

We believe that building with wood is an opportunity to create pieces that are simultaneously functional and artistic. In light of that, we prefer sealing over coating. Sealing wood protects wood from moisture and brings out its natural beauty at the same time. Sealer also allows wood to age gracefully. So much so, that the aesthetic differences between sealing and coating are truly remarkable.

There is something unique and warm about wood. It makes a space look comfortable and inviting. It encourages you to come inside, sit down, and just be. Unlike other building materials, which can sometimes feel cold and impersonal, wood has a personality all its own. From floors to custom wood décor, you really cannot go wrong using one of nature's most sustainable building materials.

Responsible Wood Artistry

Speaking of sustainability, one of our goals at Modern Craftsman is to source local wood products from producers who approach their businesses from a sustainable mindset. We absolutely love working with wood on a full variety of projects. But we also want to ensure that future generations have just as much access to wood decades from now.

We consider what we do as much artistry as architectural design. We are committed to doing it responsibly. If you have been hoping to partner with a company dedicated to preserving Salt Lake City for future generations, we would be honored by the opportunity to work on your project.

Variety in Products and Finishes

We invite you to take a few minutes to browse our website. You will discover that in addition to wood, we work with other materials as well. We do our best to offer customers a variety of products and finishes. The more choices you have, the greater the chances that you get exactly what you have imagined.

Customers frequently contact us to inquire about what we can design and build. In a word, anything. If you can imagine it, there is a good chance we can create it. Moreover, we work with multiple materials, including wood and concrete. It is ultimately your choice.