I recently had the privilege to visit Bangalore, India to train someone on how to make concrete countertops. To my knowledge, this is the first introduction of concrete countertops to India. The student, Ajaay Srinivaas, is a successful business person with a tile importing business and an incense business, and has now created Nuance Studio to offer concrete countertops, sinks and elements. I will write a more thorough account of Ajaay’s company later, but for now I want to share a few photos of my trip.
Before the trip, I had Ajaay acquire all the tools and materials he would need. This was a challenge, as the types of tools and materials available in India vary widely from the U.S. For example, we had trouble finding foam rollers for applying sealer. There are no Home Depot or Lowes stores. Here is a photo of the local hardware store.
However India does have several good brands of portland cement.
Most of the items Ajaay imported from the U.S. These should look familiar to you.
And this too, although usually you don’t see flowers on a miter saw! The day I arrived was the Ugadi new year festival, and all the machines were blessed with flowers and greenery.
India was the most exotic place I’ve traveled to so far. It was amazing! Cows really do roam the streets. I couldn’t get over that.
This cow walked by next door to the shop. She wanted to help make concrete!
And the traffic is harrowing – constant honking, swerving, tailgating, with cars, trucks, buses, rickshaws, motorbikes with whole families on them, pedestrians and cows all mixed in.
My wife Lane had a fabulous time shopping. The clothing and fabrics were stunningly beautiful, and there were lots of treasures to be found.
We visited a palace and a Hindu temple and rode an elephant!
It was an amazing experience. There are lots more photos on the CCI Facebook page.
I look forward to seeing lots of photos of Ajaay’s future concrete creations. Thanks Ajaay for a great experience!
