View the Decorative Concrete Project of the Year honorees.

It all started in 2001 when Chris Swanson, his father Jim, and his friend Jamie Schneider decided to purchase, remodel, and resell a fixer-upper in the area. Swanson wanted to include concrete countertops in the kitchen reconstruction. After showing pictures to his partners, they agreed. He says the house was an eyesore, so neighbors were interested in the changes, frequently stopping by to see what was going on. The concrete countertop inspired one neighbor to ask if they would acid stain his garage floor, leading to another job. After that, referrals started coming in. The partners' developing interest in decorative concrete led them to call their company Colour, using the European spelling to emphasize their use of color as the most important element of their work.

The next phase for Colour came when the partners took a class to learn more about overlay cement applications. Taught by Gary Jones from Colormaker Floors, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, the class was held at their local construction supply house, Spec West in Sacramento, Calif. Jones influenced the direction of their company and Randy Sanford, the owner of Spec West, became their friend. When Sanford remodeled his facility, they helped him install the new showroom floor. With knowledge of how to install overlay cement, the company focus shifted to floor installations, though Swanson says he continued to do some concrete countertops on the side.

Three years ago, Colour shifted its focus again, this time to polished concrete floor work. The company bought diamond polishing equipment and today Swanson says that 95% of their work is polished concrete and dye staining, shifting away from overlay cement and acid-stain installations. The move to polished concrete helped to avoid moisture vapor transmission problems in finished products, but the partners also really liked the look of polished concrete.

The three partners have strong feelings about the value of relationships with clients and vendors, as well as in their personal lives. They don't do any formal marketing, preferring instead to spend time developing trust with clients and potential clients before a project begins. They spend time with prospective clients to explore ideas and work on designs as part of the trust-building process. As a result, they develop personal relationships and get strong references for future work.

Colour believes in treating its vendors the same way it treats its customers. The company remains loyal to suppliers and is willing to pay a little more for better products. The partners maintain good friendships with the supply company owners and the sales representatives who serve them.

After the staining was complete, the engraved lines were filled with brown grout squirted through ketchup bottles. PHOTOS: COLOUR

This year's Decorative Concrete Project of the Year is Flor De Vida, which means “the flower of life” in Spanish. When a homeowner in Placerville, Calif., decided to add a studio/gallery to his house, his friends recommended Colour's services. He invited the partners to provide a design and install a decorative finish on a 650-square-foot slab that had already been placed by another contractor. Impressed with Colour's design, he told them to proceed with the work.

Working together, the three partners started by diamond grinding the floor to a 400-grit finish. The work was completed before drywall was installed but after wood framing. After the beginning polishing steps were complete, Swanson stayed behind to execute the pattern layout, engraving, and dye coloring. Because the design was complicated, only small amounts of pattern could be chalked on the floor at any one time and then cut to a 1/8-inch-wide track using a small angle grinder with a diamond blade.

The color-burst pattern in the center of the room was the most difficult part of the project. Swanson could only chalk three or four arcs at a time, cut them, remove the dust, and lay out the next lines—which was time-consuming. In all, it took three and a half days to complete the engraving process for the entire floor.

Most of the time required for the Flor De Vida project was spent on this color-burst design located in the center of the floor.