PATAGONIA CUSTOM BRICK
During the late summer of 2022, Jon Smith Designs was contacted by Danielle Egge, who works in global retail marketing for Patagonia. She explained that recently a storefront in New York City covered up an inoperable door, putting a large slab of concrete over it. An issue surfaced that the awkward looking slab seemed to clash very heavily with the brick wall behind it, and the decorative nature of the storefront. Danielle asked if we could paint the concrete to look like brick.
As a long time fan of Patagonias gear, and involvement in sustainability, Jon was incredibly interested in collaboration. He flew out to New York City to see the job sight. On arrival, he realized that painting brick wouldn’t do, but a realistic plaster and mortar finish would be more appropriate. After discussing it with Danielle, she agreed the method of building out realistic replica bricks would blend better with the environment.
Given creative freedom to build the wall, Jon started by visiting Fort Tilden Beach, where he sifted through sand, collecting pebbles and shells. After collecting a generous amount of sediment and loose trash sprawled across the beach, he returned, taking the shells and pebbles and crushing them into smaller forms. The sediment was then added into plaster for the job, adding further texturization and comparable aggregates to the reference wall.
He decided that the first step would be priming and texturing the surface. After that was complete Jon applied tape to create a layout for the bricks. He added slight imperfections in sizing, allowing for the bricks to look more realistic. After customizing the layout, he applied and layered three different colors of lime plaster. Still wet, he removed the tape, and using a mortar tool, rounded the edges of each brick.
When the surface was dried, he loaded up his hawk with the different colors, and added the sediment to the mix. Brick by brick he varied the pigment and added necessary detail. Taking a long thin bristle (codtail) brush, Jon went over the surface and pulled the sediment up, causing the pitted look most bricks have. Additional distressed markings were also added, creating blemishes and cracks within the bricks. Next, a lime wash patina was added to the top, allowing for the colors to come alive.
For the final steps of the project, grouting was completed by squeezing custom lime plaster through a cone. A lime wash patina was then added onto the grout. When dry, the last thing to do was add the finishing details. Darkening around the edges, sanding, and further aging was done.
Overall, on the surface the job was a couple weeks of meticulous detail and customized design, but underneath it was also a valuable opportunity to work with a community which shared the same interests and goals. The people of Patagonia welcomed Jon in as one of their own in the time they had, and by the end they were sharing personal interests, and signing their names in the brick wall. A simple coverup job had turned into a personalized experience that could never be replicated.