Stories We Tell

June 17, 2022

Exposed Aggregate Finish

Author: Yukari Matsumoto

Reading time:5min

Hi there.

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“Tsuyu” has finally arrived in Kansai. “Tsuyu” is the rainy season, commonly called the plum rain. And it is the season that plum trees begin to bear fruits. The plums before they’re ripe are called oume or green plums. Since green plums contain a small amount of poison, people used to eat them by processing them into umeboshi and umeshu (plum wine). I feel the season when I make ume plum syrup and drink it with soda or eat something made with ume. The rainy season can have its drawbacks, but I think it’s good to have a season with lots of rain throughout the year.


 

Washout Finish and Cubic Stones

I posted a blog about a garden the other day, and we went there to wash off the exposed concrete.

We used a different type of cement, white cement, this time. And we chose pebbles in a variety of colors, such as rust, black, and brown, so that the white would not stand out too much. Also, the rust-colored cubic stones would go perfectly with the pebbles.

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Several people were working on the wash-off work. As we wash away the cement on the surface, the uneven surface of the pebbles appears. And then, the white areas gradually will be full of them. As we used the white cement, the pebbles were more distinctive.

Since the store exterior is also yellowish, the rust-colored stones bring a cohesive look to the entire building.

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Our artisans manage to do various works related to landscaping, but plaster work is difficult for us. The staff members were so interested in plastering techniques that they were keen to listen to the plasterer. To learn various techniques, we should keep learning from the different industries by listening to them and watching their work. We can create a garden as a perfectly finished space by using various techniques. All in all, creating gardens requires the continuous learning of new techniques and fields. It's not easy, but it is an indispensable effort to create a good space.

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The cubic stones contrast beautifully with the pebble wash finish. The cubic stone joints are gray-colored, yet the pebble wash finish is used white which makes the pebbles stand out. They give a trendy and classical impression. It is simple, but the impressive cubic stones attract the eye of people passing by.

The garden is now even more different from the previous garden, so I hope you will enjoy seeing our work completed. I will update the construction in our blog!