What does kiln-carved mean on a glass bar top?

Kiln-carving is a process in which glass is fired in a kiln over a textured bed — in this case, a hand-worked sand surface — so the heat softens the glass and allows it to take on the precise contours of the texture beneath it. The result is a surface that is permanently part of the glass, not applied to it. The texture lives on the underside, meaning the top surface stays smooth and cleanable while the visual depth lives below, amplified by the LED light source behind it.

How is a glass bar top supported without drilling through the glass?

Three cantilevered steel brackets, anchored into the bar structure below, carry the full load of the glass surface. The glass rests on the bracket faces and is bonded with ultra-clear silicone — no hardware passes through the glass at any point. This eliminates stress concentration points, aesthetic intrusion, and future maintenance issues caused by through-drilling.

How does the LED lighting system work inside a kiln-carved glass bar top?

The Ambiance Machine™ RGB LED system mounts along the interior edge of the bar structure and fires light upward through the glass. The carved texture catches and scatters that light, creating a surface that appears to glow from within. The system operates across 8 million color combinations at 0–100% intensity, with programmable scenes and optional photocell trigger that activates the bar automatically at dusk.

What are the maintenance requirements for a kiln-carved glass bar top?

The surface requires no special treatment. The top surface is smooth polished glass — cleaning is the same as any glass surface, a damp cloth or standard glass cleaner. No sealing, no waxing, no periodic treatment required. Low-iron glass is non-porous, does not stain, and does not react with alcohol, citrus, or cleaning products.

How was the wave texture pattern developed for the Mantoloking glass bar top?

The texture was designed interactively — client and craftsman working from the bar's geometry and the room's flow to arrive at a pattern that felt native to the space. Once the bar base drawings were confirmed, multiple textural iterations were developed. The client selected the wave pattern, which was then scaled and anchor-pointed so the hand-worked sand bed in the kiln matched it as faithfully as the process allows.

Last updated on July 8th, 2026 at 02:05 pm

Concrete Stair Treads · Downing Designs

Any color. Any size. Ships anywhere.

Concrete that holds a custom color, accepts any dimension, and ages without apology.

Downing Designs fabricates custom concrete stair treads using a proprietary formula and sealing process that permanently seals both the surface and in-depth — unlike topical plastic sealers that peel, yellow, or fade. We have matched thousands of color formulas. Any color. Any size. Shipped anywhere.

We have successfully installed hundreds of custom concrete stair treads in homes and commercial sites throughout Florida and beyond. Our client base includes prominent architectural and interior design firms who spec our work repeatedly because the result is consistent and the process is reliable.

What Sets These Apart

Engineered to 8,000 PSI compressive strength
Polished to 100 grit — refined finish with proper traction
Proprietary sealing: permanent, surface AND in-depth
Through-colored — no coating to peel, yellow, or fade
Any color — matched to Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, or any swatch
Any size — cast to exact dimensions
Ships anywhere in the United States

Also Available

For staircases where the right answer is glass — low-iron, fused to structural specification, LED-illuminated — Downing Designs fabricates custom Glass Stair Treads from the same Tampa studio.

The effect is something concrete cannot produce: the staircase disappears. Light moves through it. At 9:30 on a Tuesday night with the LEDs at 30%, a glass stair tread does something to a space that has to be seen to be understood.

Same studio. Same conversation. We can walk you through both.

Select Portfolio — Concrete Stair Treads

Luxury concrete stair treads modern home custom color and size

Custom precast concrete stair treads Clearwater Florida

Concrete stair treads Tampa Florida custom ship anywhere

Custom concrete stair treads USA color matched

Custom concrete stair treads any color any thickness

Custom concrete stair treads thick custom color

Concrete stair treads custom fabricated Downing Designs

Concrete stair tread installation detail

Custom glass stair treads with LED lighting — also available from Downing Designs

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Downing Designs concrete stair treads different?

Our concrete is engineered to 8,000 PSI compressive strength and polished to 100 grit. We use a proprietary sealing formula that permanently seals both the surface and through the depth of the material — not a topical epoxy or plastic coating. Like porcelain, our treads are through-colored: as the surface wears over time, the color underneath is identical to the color on top. No coating to peel, yellow, or fade.

Can I get a custom color?

Any color. We match Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, or any paint swatch you can send us. We photograph the best-looking sample and transmit it for your review, then ship a physical sample via FedEx for your final approval before production begins. Our base material is white cement and white sand — giving us an exceptionally clean starting point for color matching. We've matched thousands of color formulas across 25-plus years of custom concrete fabrication.

What sizes are available?

Any size. We cast each tread individually to your specified width, depth, thickness, and nose profile. Residential stairs, commercial runs, cantilevered open-riser applications, exterior pool staircases — if the dimensions are unusual or the structural situation is complex, that's exactly the kind of project our fabrication studio is set up to handle. Dimensions are confirmed to the fraction of an inch before any material goes into production.

Do you ship concrete stair treads?

We ship anywhere in the United States. Each order is crated for white-glove freight delivery to protect the finished surface in transit. For clients in Florida and the Southeast, we can also coordinate regional delivery and installation scheduling. We've shipped to clients across the country who couldn't find this level of custom capability closer to home.

How many projects has Downing Designs completed?

Hundreds of successful stair tread installations across residential homes, commercial properties, and hospitality environments throughout Florida and nationally. Our client base includes some of the region's most prominent architectural and interior design firms and custom builders — professionals who spec our work repeatedly because the result is consistent and the process is reliable.

How do I get started?

It starts with a phone call. Reach us at (813) 784-5211 and we'll walk through your project — dimensions, color direction, finish preference, timeline, and any design considerations specific to your staircase. Our goal is that the only surprises on installation day are pleasant ones. If you're local to Tampa, we encourage you to visit our design center to see finished concrete surfaces firsthand before the project begins.

Begin a Commission

Every project begins
with a single
phone call.

Tell us about your staircase — the dimensions, the color, the setting. No forms, no wait. Just a conversation between you and the person who will build your piece.

813.784.5211 We Text 7 Days
We Meet By Appointment 7 Days

Also Explore

Other surfaces from the same Tampa studio.

Glass Stair Treads

Glass Bar Tops

Glazed Lava Stone

Downing Designs

Tampa, Florida
downingdesigns.com
Made in Tampa. Installed Coast-to-Coast.