A rock strata creates a natural look, helping to make this bathroom decor more timeless.

Carlton's Corner:
Decorative Concrete Wows ‘em in 1927 — and 2007

Not long after, someone had an idea to rebuild, but this time use products more fire-resistant. Famed architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood liked the idea of using concrete in every way possible. He suggested decorative concrete floors, walls, beams and flatwork.

Everyone agreed. But the decision makers wanted the assurance that the building would have the natural look so commonly seen in the High Sierras — and not the look of industrial concrete. Underwood assured everyone involved that the finished product, through the use of decorative concrete, would look as natural as stone and timber.

I recently had the opportunity to visit this lodge in preparation for a television feature on decorative concrete. What a treat. This magnificent multistory hotel was even more impressive in person than I could imagine. I truly believe it would match up to the billion-dollar resorts springing up in Vegas. The acid-stained floors seem to run for miles with art deco bands and accents throughout. I searched the floor thoroughly looking for flaws or cut corners, but found none. The scoring that makes up thousands of feet of design is not created by diamond blades but by hand tooling. The outside walls appear to be made of redwood timbers but are actually made of stained concrete poured between timbers. The rafter tails replicate the same detail but are made of rock, sand and cement. The outside flatwork is a natural gray but is imprinted to have a look of flagstone.