Houzz TV: See How Those Cool Rusty Planters Are Made
Watch as fabricators turn flat sheets of Cor-Ten steel into raised beds that double as garden art
Annie Thornton
May 19, 2017
Houzz Editorial Staff
For designers Branden Adams and Jennifer Ivanovich, using beautifully rusted Cor-Ten steel in the landscape opens up a world of possibilities, both aesthetically and practically. “It’s a really versatile material. We look at it, basically, without limitation,” Adams says. In this video, Ivanovich and Adams discuss why they like using Cor-Ten and offer tips for homeowners considering it for contemporary planter boxes, gates, trellises and more.
Watch now: Learn more about using Cor-Ten steel
Cor-Ten steel is the trademarked name for a weathering steel that is known for its distinct, rusty finish. The term is commonly applied to all weathering steel, a group of steel alloys that are known for their exceptional corrosion resistance and will achieve a rust-like appearance over time.
Adams and Ivanovich, who run BaDesign together in Oakland, California, used Cor-Ten throughout this project in Palo Alto, California, starting with the raised beds in the home’s front yard, shown here. The beds are about 2 feet tall and 2½ feet wide and provide the family with a convenient place to raise fresh produce while adding a contemporary feature to their garden. Their thin steel walls sit directly on the ground, allowing roots to grow into the soil below.
Ivanovich likes to design planters to be around 20 inches tall and 3 feet wide so that homeowners can easily reach to the bed’s center.
Cor-Ten steel is the trademarked name for a weathering steel that is known for its distinct, rusty finish. The term is commonly applied to all weathering steel, a group of steel alloys that are known for their exceptional corrosion resistance and will achieve a rust-like appearance over time.
Adams and Ivanovich, who run BaDesign together in Oakland, California, used Cor-Ten throughout this project in Palo Alto, California, starting with the raised beds in the home’s front yard, shown here. The beds are about 2 feet tall and 2½ feet wide and provide the family with a convenient place to raise fresh produce while adding a contemporary feature to their garden. Their thin steel walls sit directly on the ground, allowing roots to grow into the soil below.
Ivanovich likes to design planters to be around 20 inches tall and 3 feet wide so that homeowners can easily reach to the bed’s center.
Cor-Ten’s rusty color is a popular look, and the finish contributes to its low maintenance needs and long life. “As it oxidizes, that rusting layer actually serves to protect the material,” Adams says. “In other types of steel, the rust doesn’t.”
For these reasons, Cor-Ten can be a great choice if you’re looking for a long-term, low-maintenance and attractive landscape material. In yards across the country, designers and fabricators use it for everything from from raised beds to gates and fire features. Additionally, its thin profile works well in smaller gardens, taking up less space than wood or stone might.
The material typically arrives in large, flat sheets, as shown here. Depending on the project, the fabricators will cut, weld and manipulate the steel to fit the project’s needs.
For these reasons, Cor-Ten can be a great choice if you’re looking for a long-term, low-maintenance and attractive landscape material. In yards across the country, designers and fabricators use it for everything from from raised beds to gates and fire features. Additionally, its thin profile works well in smaller gardens, taking up less space than wood or stone might.
The material typically arrives in large, flat sheets, as shown here. Depending on the project, the fabricators will cut, weld and manipulate the steel to fit the project’s needs.
Here, the fabricators are bending a flat sheet of Cor-Ten steel to create a beveled, or rounded, corner. “That provides a different structural stability to it, and it also ensures that you’re not going to scrape yourself on the edges of the planter,” Ivanovich says. The designers often suggest this type of edge for gardens with kids.
Here, Elaine Uang and her two daughters pick fresh produce from the Cor-Ten raised beds Ivanovich and Adams made for their home in Palo Alto.
Uang and her husband, Mike Greenfield, wanted an edible garden, and these thin-walled planters make the most of their 3,000-square-foot lot (279 square meters). “Even the smallest space can yield an amazing garden,” Uang says.
Uang and her husband, Mike Greenfield, wanted an edible garden, and these thin-walled planters make the most of their 3,000-square-foot lot (279 square meters). “Even the smallest space can yield an amazing garden,” Uang says.
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Gorgeous. Modern, elegant, practical and i want them!!!
Question, not a comment: I'm wondering if the iron from the steel leaches into the soil and then ultimately the plants.