Friday Furnishings: In A Concrete Fashion

Welcome to our new Friday feature, dear readers: Friday Furnishings! That's right, the DCGF is branching out into new territory. And what, pray tell, do I know about such things? Well, let me tell you...

Goodwill is not just a place for fabulous fashions, oh no. One can find great furniture, frames and pictures, knick-knacks, pots and pans, computers, stereos - why just the other day I bought a 10-speed road bike for 20 bucks! So you see, it's not just clothes, although that's a huge part of our retail business.

So I thought it would be nice to branch out for the summer. You know, take a little vacay from all fashion all the time and share with you what's hot in vintage and contemporary furnishings from all over the world and right in D.C.'s back yard. And today, it's all about concrete.

That's right. I said concrete. Every year in Las Vegas the World of Concrete hosts an Artistry in Concrete event. Why do am I so interested in this? Because my parents finally broke down and replaced their crumbling driveway two years back with - get this - a decorative concrete one, replete with colors, and the Notre Dame insignia (my sister graduated from there) in one corner. Crazy, I thought.

But then I started checking out pictures from previous Artistry in Concrete exhibits and the results are amazing, like Rick Fischer's work with stencils and staining on plain ol' concrete. This has become such a hot topic in the last few years that no less than Architecture Magazine covered the event in 2005. Who knew?

For those of us living in tiny city apartments, however, a massive concrete driveway is only appealing in the abstract. I wanted something more tangible to connect me to the trend. I found it in Oso Industries "Pine Bench," which, of course, is made out of anything but. Yep, the awesome bench to the left is cast out of a single piece of concrete, using a rubber mold of an actual tree to create the amazingly realistic finish.

I love a combination of the natural and man-made in my own furniture, so the bark-like texture juxtaposed with the angular center cut-out and highly polished top are perfect. And it's available in 10 colors! Oh but here's the catch: it costs $2675. I forgot to mention that. Shipping's probably rather expensive, too, come to think of it. Hey, I didn't say Friday Furnishings was going to be affordable, did I?

But maybe it can be. Konzuk, a jewelry company out of Canada, is making truly innovative pieces out of - let's say it all together, shall we? - concrete.

The necklace at right is stainless steel and concrete and comes on a 16", 18", or 20" cable. It retails for $175, which is still quite steep, but think of the conversations it will provoke! They also have rings, earrings, cufflinks, and bracelets combining concrete with stainless steel and silver - I had a hard time choosing what to show you on the blog! It's incredible how they've been able to take industrial elements and craft such elegant and delicate pieces. I want!

So there you have it, dear readers. The first of Friday Furnishings. Let me know what you think! What do you want to know more about this summer? What are you looking for in your own dwelling space? How has Goodwill played a role in how you style your life? I'm looking forward to this summer and I hope you are too!

Goodwill’s fashion blog provides detailed knowledge and insight on vintage and contemporary clothing and accessories that are valuable to fashion shoppers. The facts and opinions shared present readers with entertaining, exciting and value based information on vintage and contemporary fashion and shopping trends.