It feels like just yesterday that I first met Khai Foo and Brad Carpenter at their studio on 3rd off Main street in Vancouver, BC. A modest exterior entrance led to palette of sophisticated and refined concrete finishes. Four years ago, large format tiles had just started to be introduced to the residential market and Solus was already in production with a line of 12" x 24" floor tiles, showcased in their showroom in a perfect shade of charcoal. Examples of elegant fireplace mantels featured a new updated look to traditional crown profiles using simplified and well thought out use of scale and proportions. Also in their showroom - custom door surrounds for a dramatic entryway to a wine cellar. It's inspiring to see that within the last few years, Solus Decor has built a business model based on quality product and a belief in bringing excellent service to a growing market of sophisticated Vancouver buyers, as well international markets. A recent visit to Solus Decor's new location offered a sneak peek at behind the scenes efforts that go into each product from design process to careful production and packaging, Solus Decor is one of my favorite success stories and the best part is they are a great team to work with. To read more and view an inside story on Solus, see our collaborated effort at MODERN 604.COM where we feature all of Vancouver's talent and modern resources.

Concrete tile collection featured at current showroom location at 1445 Powell Street

New "Quadra" profile, a seamless single cast concrete surround that can be floor or wall mounted. I'm excited to see the collaboration between Solus Decor and Inform Interiors showcase this new concrete profile at the new Inform Interiors showroom located in Gastown.

Exciting news to see our local Solus decor share their new launch of modern outdoor concrete products. Perfect timing for it's already that time of year to start planning for the summer. Thanks to the team at Solus and to Lindsey & Khai for the update! I'm looking forward to using the firebowl for an outdoor installation this upcoming summer.

Solus Handcast Concrete Decor Goes “Outdoor” For Spring - (thanks Lindsey for the info!)
Solus Decor Inc, a Vancouver, Canada-based firm that designs and manufactures precast concrete home decor products, has been creating fireplace mantels, tiles, site furnishings and custom pieces since 1997. This spring, Solus is launching a new collection of planters, vessels and site furnishings under the banner “Solus Outdoor.” The line is highlighted by an outdoor fire feature called the Hemi Firebowl, and the Grate Bench, a 2007 selection for New York’s Haute Green, “the best in sustainable design for the contemporary home”.

Concrete "Hemi Bowl" - $1,800.00 CAD
The Outdoor line was created as a response to a dearth in modern four-season outdoor furnishings and is the result of four years of experimentation and refinement. All the pieces in the collection are cast in high performance concrete: formulations that are up to five times stronger and more durable than typical concrete. This state-of-the-art material gives the pieces their uniquely contemporary look and also allows them to withstand harsh Canadian winters without “weathering ugly.” Unlike other materials used for outdoor furniture, high-performance concrete requires no maintenance and is not adversely affected by UV rays and dampness.

The Litha - Plank Bench $1,800 CAD

The Litha - Grate Bench $2,200 CAD
The benches and planters in the collection utilize Solus’ Litho, an ultra high-performance concrete with a compressive strength in excess of 20,000 psi (140 MPa+). This has allowed the Solus design team to push the boundaries of what was previously possible, with pieces that are unexpectedly thin and detailing that is refined crispness. Further, all pieces in the Outdoor line employ post-industrial recycled content in their formulations which not only helps to reduce the environmental impact of the products, but also enhances the concrete’s performance characteristics.

The spring line-up includes the Hemi Firebowl, Box Planters in two sizes, the multi-use Hemi 36 vessel, and two modern garden benches. All are available in a range of architectural colours and can be shipped across North America. The Solus Outdoor collection will be displayed at IDS West at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, May 19-22, 2008, Booth 705.

Solus Decor was founded in 1997 in a small garage in North Vancouver by two Fine Arts graduates from the University of British Columbia. Solus continues to manufacture all of its products in Vancouver, but has grown into a 15,000 square foot facility and showroom with a dedicated 18-person staff.


The Box Planters:
Trough $1,100.00 CAD or Cube $400.00 CAD
Find out more at SOLUS DECOR. If you would like more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview with Khai Foo, please contact Solus at 604.255.2472, toll-free at 1.877.255.3146 or email: khai.foo@solusdecor.com