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Consider It Concrete is led by its co-founders, Liezl Bernicky and Edwina Welgemoed, a mother-daughter team who established their business in 2021, with the aim of creating unique features that transform gardens into personalized spaces. With utmost consideration for quality and attention to detail, they cast their individual products by hand to create works of art that can both enhance and transform natural spaces.
Although the business is fairly new, the dream has existed way beyond that and their story begins with a man named Eric Stokes, who began his own concrete business in 1991. Located in a small town named Bapsfontein, South Africa, Eric found himself needing to provide for his wife and three daughters. He worked for many years as a molder at one of the local foundries but after being deemed medically unfit, he was let go by the company. Working alongside his fearless wife, Sansunette, he decided to use his years of experience in mold making, extraordinary artistic capabilities and a love for creating garden features, to establish a business that would one day become his legacy.
Fast forward to today and meet the mother-daughter duo, daughter and granddaughter of Eric Stokes, who are still inspired by the same core values and determination to work hard and create quality ornamental stepping stones at an affordable rate for every gardener to enjoy. After months of planning and brainstorming they were ready to take the plunge. With tools in hand and a big dream in their hearts they were ready to cast their first mold. Each mold is filled with a concrete mixture, both measured and mixed by hand and left to set. After carefully removing each stepping stone, it is examined for both quality and a detailed design, before being painted using a dry-brush technique to further accentuate the stepping stones features.
However, the dream does not stop here as they hope to continue to expand on their array of products in order to keep meeting the needs of their customers. They believe that with their knowledge of the trade and creative minds past down through generations, they are capable of creating even more exceptional products that are designed to make your garden the haven it is meant to be. For now, they’re taking it one stepping stone at a time.
Lead Crafter, Consider It Concrete
Liezl’s fondest memories of her childhood include spending time with her grandfather in his workshop. She recalls the smell of concrete filling the air while being perched on a workbench and creating small sculptures out of clay with her grandfather. Her grandfather’s ability to inspire and encourage her artistic abilities to flow freely with joy, developed her love for creating art. Today, Liezl uses that same love for creating art by sculpting clay into beautifully designed molds. Working from her home in Yorkville, Illinois, Liezl is cheered on by her husband, Brandon as well as her sidekick dog, Coral, who enjoys being by her side as she works to create and cast stepping stones.
Business Coordinator, Consider It Concrete
Very much like her father, Edwina has always had a lifelong dream of starting her own family business and continuing her father’s legacy. After moving to the United States in 2017, Edwina and her husband, Nico, began to set new roots in Plainfield, Illinois. After months of brainstorming and deliberating, Edwina and her daughter, Liezl, decided to make their dreams a reality and established their business, Consider It Concrete. Edwina shares her father’s artistic eye for design and focuses on co-ordinating the business.
Business Coordinator, Consider It Concrete
Very much like her father, Edwina has always had a lifelong dream of starting her own family business and continuing her father’s legacy. After moving to the United States in 2017, Edwina and her husband, Nico, began to set new roots in Plainfield, Illinois. After months of brainstorming and deliberating, Edwina and her daughter, Liezl, decided to make their dreams a reality and established their business, Consider It Concrete. Edwina shares her father’s artistic eye for design and focuses on co-ordinating the business.