Pure Design Countertops gives your spaces a fresh finish
By Tonya Warren | Photos by Skeebo
When you look around your home or business and decide strong elbow-grease and new tchotchkes won’t bring the fresh look you are searching for, perhaps it’s time to seek out assistance to give your surface areas some new love.
Troy area residents Gary and Eliana Inocencio, owners of Pure Design Countertops since 1997, may be able to help.
Pure Design was born out of necessity. Several years ago, the couple wanted to redo their kitchen countertops, and Eliana, who hails from Brazil, a country known for exquisite marble, was considering using marble for the replacement. Laughing, Gary admitted he quickly tabled that idea, and then set out to find a quality, attractive alternative that fit their pocketbook.
Perusing YouTube videos turned out to be key in the Inocencio’s search for an updated countertop look. The most informative video Gary found was by Mike Quist of Stone Coat Countertops. Gary and Eliana were so impressed with the magnificent look that was produced by using epoxy, a resin material.
The couple knew they had found the look they were wanting for their own kitchen. However, they came up empty-handed after searching for someone local to renew their countertops using this interesting method. Gary’s entrepreneurial spirit kicked in, and planning was underway to offer a new service for home and business owners to fill this void in upgrading surface areas.
Armed with some YouTube knowledge and a desire to see if he could really pull this new idea off, Gary set out for his garage to begin experimenting.
Other than enjoying drawing as a kid, he says, “I have no formal training in design or art.” He enjoys woodworking, so he decided to combine the idea of making an entry table with an epoxy tabletop. The result? A lovely wooden painted table with its beautiful tabletop design offering an exquisite black, white, and blue marbled look.
After a couple of months of puttering around in the garage with epoxy, he finished some countertops for his daughter’s house as well as some for his neighbor. “They loved the new look,” Gary says. “I was also gaining some confidence that I could really do this for a living.”
Eventually, he wanted to up his game, and learn even more about this creative process, so he attended a three-day conference in Las Vegas where he met people in the business from all over the country. He was amazed at the creative and beautiful look this form of artwork produced. “It’s all about the customer,” Gary says. “They tell me the look they are going for, and they choose the colors and design.”
There are many, many shades of colors to choose from, along with mica pigment powders to create a truly one-of-a-kind look. A careful blending of the selected colors, a slight tilt of the surface area as colors are applied and applying a gentle heat treatment are just a few of the many ways your new surface area dreams come true. He can cut new countertops and apply the epoxy or possibly sand the existing ones and start the application process.
He initially consults with customers about the surface areas they are looking to enhance. “We discuss what type of look they envision. Do they want a granite look or a marbled look? Do they want an exotic look? Also, what colors do they like?”
In a nod to the currently popular minimalist look, Gary says many homeowners want simple white countertops with a gentle “veining” look.
After meeting with a customer, he will create a sample board based on the customer’s preferences, and adjustments will be made accordingly, if needed, after customer viewing. Surface areas amenable to the epoxy process include countertops, tabletops, bar tops, and windowsills.
Epoxy coating offers an array of advantages in the home or business. Made to withstand a 475-degree temperature on its surface, the resin is difficult to scratch or stain, and Gary says many scratches can be buffed out versus having to replace the entire counter. Eliana, a nurse, enjoys the fact that these countertops are seamless, and therefore, they do not harbor food crumbs. She also says common, regular cleaning products can be used to sanitize the surface for a quick and safe cleanup.
Surface areas in public businesses take a lot of daily wear and tear and Pure Design Countertops can help design those surface areas to give that professional, clean look to wow customers and keep them coming back time after time.
Need some unique gift ideas? Gary puts fun in a functional lazy Susan he creates using the same process he does for other surface areas. Fun and unique colors of your lazy Susan will net a lot of interesting kitchen table conversations for years to come. Another item not to be missed are customized coasters. If you have a sports fan in your life, score big with them with a corn hole game made with their favorite team colors using this fun and creative method. Now, that sounds like a winner.
