"Wet Look" Entryway

Well, I know you've all been waiting for it. (Right!) Well, I have, anyway. I've finally finished Dian's entryway project. Once the "tiles" were set, I grouted it with a tan grout. Then, when it was completely dry, I used a "wet look" sealer, and did 6 coats to make it very shiny. And, now it's finished! Yay! I love how it turned out, but more importantly, Dian and her husband LOVE how it turned out! It took longer than I wanted it to, due to heavy homework for school, and trying to work out in the HEAT! But, the wait and the work were well worth it. The project has also gotten rave reviews from Dian's and Eckart's friends who have seen it. Here are the "after" pictures, with a couple of close-ups of inset details.

(Above: Left side, Full view, Right side.)

(Below left: Closeup view of left side. Below center: Inset detail, in center of main step - below where doors come together. Below right: Closeup view of right side.)

(Below: Closeup of "flower" detail from right side)

Dian likes the finished product so well, that she has already commissioned me to do another project, which will involve creating a small rivulet crossing the front walkway. This evolved from the need to repair or disguise a large crack crossing the entire walkway, that has developed in the terra cotta.

For this project, I am removing a portion of the tile along the sides of the crack, and replacing it with a little "stream" that crosses the sidewalk. The 4-foot trunk stump of a dead tree became a large part of the inspiration for this new little water feature.

I came up with the idea of turning it into a fountain, with a copper tube coming through the trunk, and spouting water into a glass "trough," that will spill onto the sidewalk at the point where the little stream begins. Then, a water return going under the "creek" bed will be used to pump the water back under the sidewalk, and back out through the spout. The "creek" will be lined with the same clear colored-glass pebbles that were used on the entryway. It's going to be really beautiful, and really unique. Here are the "before" pictures of this project.









This week of school is the finale' of Summer I session. Yay! The last day is July 2nd, and with Friday being the 4th, I'll be getting to work on a major level on Saturday. I'll keep you posted. Love you all!