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Absolute Living

SEPTEMBER 2021

NO MAN IS AN ISLAND

FALL HAIR CARE GUIDE

ROB KLEIN

THE HOME TEAM

NO STONE UNTURNED

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Sep/2021

CONTENTS

NO MAN IS AN ISLAND ROB KLEIN OF CONCEPTUAL KITCHENS & MILLWORK

Photography By Gabrielle Cheikh Noel

FALL HAIR CARE GUIDE

THE HOME TEAM

HAS YOUR HAIR BEEN BAKED BY THE SUMMER SUN? CHECK OUT THESE TIPS FROM EVA HARRIS AT THE BEAUTY LOUNGE.

PAIR'D FURNISHINGS OFFERS FRESH DESIGNS AND IMPECCABLE CRAFTSMANSHIP.

SUN KING FISHERS TAP ROOM & BREWERY

NO STONE UNTURNED

SUN KING BRINGS ITS AWARD-WINNING BREWS AND FOCUS ON COMMUNITY TO THE FISHERS DISTRICT.

OPEN UP YOUR HOME TO THE DECORATIVE POSSIBILITIES OF STONE WITH VICTORY SURFACES.

Volume 15. Issue 9. (#164)

@absolutelivingmagazine

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Assistant Editor MATTHEW HUME

Writer SUSAN SALAZ

Photography GABRIELLE CHEIKH NOEL JES NIJJER EDUARDO PEÑA PAOLA WILLIAMS

Art NICK PEÑA

Marketing Coordinator ISMAEL PEÑA

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Fall Hair Care Guide By Susan Salaz

With Eva Harris of The Beauty Lounge

s summer comes to an end, it’s a good time to think about freshening up your routine for the fall days ahead. Autumn is Eva Harris’s favorite season for all things fashion. Here the elite stylist and co-owner of The Beauty Lounge in Carmel shares secrets to taking care of your hair during the seasonal shift.

Keep your hair hydrated. “Everyone should be doing a conditioning mask every week. I do mine on self-care Sunday. I always recommend professional salon-grade products to keep hair hydrated. We use Davines products exclusively at The Beauty Lounge. Another thing that helps is to limit shampooing to once or twice a week—dry shampoo is your best friend right now. When you do wash your hair, towel dry it in the shower after you rinse out the shampoo. Leave conditioner in for at least five-minutes, then rinse your hair in the coldest water you can tolerate. This closes the cuticle, adds shine and locks in color for added longevity.” Undo summer damage. “This time of year, clients come in with dry hair, sun-bleached damage and chlorine buildup. Smoothing treatments help, but Malibu treatments are your best bet, and we can do those services inside the salon.” Pick your products wisely. “To keep your hair healthy and hydrated, use at least one product when the hair is still wet and one when it’s dry—before you use heat to style or even go outside in the environment. Davines Melu Hair Shield is a great thermal protectant spray that you can use on damp hair and again on dry hair before you flat iron or curl.”

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Stay on top of your trims. “Regular trims are so important for beautiful, healthy hair. As your hair grows, the ends dry out and split, and trimming these off preserves the strength of your natural hair and can even help it grow longer.” Take care of yourself. “Water is everything. Take your vitamins and don’t forget to add protein and collagen (liquid or powdered) to your diet. These are so good for your body inside and out, but especially for your skin and hair.” Try a new style. “I am doing a lot of transformations right now. People are ready to make a fresh impression and you can do that with new hair color. We are seeing richer colors already. It used to be fashionable to go dark in cooler months, but I tell my clients to do what makes them feel most confident. You can do color and highlights, and add in more dimension with low lighting, too. Fall is a more polished season, so it’s a great time to let down the top knot and braids from summer and try hand-tied extensions, especially to get ready for the holidays that will be here before we know it. Hand tied are the best and healthiest way to create fullness, extend the length of your hair, or add a pop of color.” Visit Eva and her team at The Beauty Lounge for all of your beauty needs, including med spa services—clinical facials, injectables and laser treatments. The Beauty Lounge is located at 2325 Pointe Parkway, Suite 110 in Carmel and online at beautyloungecarmel.com. You can also follow @ tbl_carmel on Instagram for all the latest styles.

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NO MAN IS AN ISLAND By Susan Salaz Photography By Gabrielle Cheikh Noel | Artwork By Eduardo Peña

Rob Klein is passionate about kitchens, and while his expertise doesn’t involve cooking, the tasteful designs from Conceptual Kitchens & Millwork are exactly what you’ve been craving.

Every design by Conceptual Kitchens & Millwork is exceedingly different, but there is a common theme running through each one. A bachelor’s kitchenette in a modern condo, a home cook’s galley inside a traditional bungalow, or an entertainer’s dream kitchen at a luxury lakeside retreat, each one brings a sense of peace. “You want to enjoy being in that space,” says president and design lead Rob Klein. “Whether you are cooking for your family or entertaining for your friends, you want it to be relaxing.”

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That calm a room carries is what Rob calls resolution, and in design speak it’s a big deal. It’s what makes the space feel better and what makes you want to be in it. As Rob explains, when design elements are in conflict, a room will feel uncomfortable, and you will naturally gravitate toward those idiosyncrasies without even realizing it. Rob, who is dyslexic and therefore heavily right-brained, relies on his creativity and intuition, and he refuses to give up on a design. “In other industries there is resolution all day long,” he says. But that isn’t always the case in artistic fields. In order to ensure resolution, CK&M only uses manufacturers that self-perform. “Our manufacturers will produce whatever we draw— and if they don’t think it’s possible, then we have the knowledge to show them exactly how to build it. That’s important to us, because we don’t want to design out of a catalog.” Rob loves the freedom that this method brings to the design work, allowing his team to effectively resolve any space. CK&M doesn’t only design kitchens. They will happily take on bathrooms, pantries, media rooms and just about any living space in new builds or remodel projects. Considering CK&M’s growth since its inception, it’s probably a good thing that Rob isn’t just a one-man show anymore— and he’ll tell you that himself. After working solo for more than a decade, in 2012 he began collaborating with Amy Kreutz, a fellow art lover, interior designer and National Kitchen and Bath Association award winner. As Amy tells it, she walked into his office one day and let him know that he needed to hire her. After a few conversations, he knew she was right, and they have been feeding off of one another’s brilliant design instincts ever since. Now a partner at CK&M, Amy brings an uncommon caliber of sophisticated design. As dynamic as the duo is, they began exploring the idea of adding a third designer several years ago, but, always deliberate in their actions, they were willing to wait for just the right match. Fast-forward to 2021 and widely acclaimed local designer Nikki Sutton entered the mix. Her invitation to collaborate came in response to an Instagram exchange—a true sign of the times, but

nonetheless sincere. “We are so excited about what Nikki has to offer,” says Rob, who has known Nikki for more than 15 years and has always admired her as a designer. With a background in commercial architecture and experience working for a custom homebuilder, Rob believes Nikki’s skillsets set her up beautifully for the work being done at CK&M. “I really feel like this was meant to be,” he adds. “Bringing Nikki onboard is completing the missing piece of the puzzle,” says Amy, and she adds that it is difficult to find someone with Nikki’s grit and dedication to design that can speak to discerning clientele. With Nikki also Rob Klein's other passions comes a keen understanding include making sure of commercial his three children are work, along with access polite and hardworking, to ambitious skydiving (he now has design elements and over 4,000 jumps) and materials. Amy his art collection, which says, “Nikki has the ability contains works from Robert to really think Rauschenberg, Hunt outside of the box.” Slonem, Darryl Pottorf, and

Michael Kalish.

Clients will still get the same concierge-style service from start to finish on every project, but now with a trio of seasoned designers constantly motivating one another to exceed expectations. The design team is committed to delivering an incomparable experience to their clients, understanding that the more comfortable a client is, the better the design gets. CK&M pushes boundaries with complex designs, in what Rob calls high design liability. “We are taking very big risks because that edginess is what makes the design so beautiful. You have to take everything right up to the edge, but if one thing goes over and the proportions are out of balance, you lose it all,” he says. Every shop drawing is generated in house,

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along with the details of how they want specific items manufactured. They make sure everything is built to their specifications down to the very last screw, and nothing is ever interpreted. Although that process takes a lot of behind-the-scenes effort, Rob wouldn’t have it any other way. He says, “That is what makes our projects special, because we are always advocating for our clients and always advocating for our designs.” In an age where good service is never good enough, CK&M has an ambition for over-service that stands out from industry standards. In order to make everything work and offer those in-house boutique services, each project is layered with a series

of checks and balances throughout the operation. The three designers support one another, bolstering the energy in each project. Beyond that, the CK&M team is fortified with a project manager, a dedicated AutoCAD technician, two full-time installers, and showroom manager Jenny Niceley who holds everything together in the office. For Rob, it is crucial that every role works well together in order to create a seamless process. Communication is key from beginning to end, and makes the manufacturing go more smoothly and the installation easier. “That teamwork approach means I’m not on an island by myself,” says Rob, insisting that they not only need to be team players in the office, but also out in the field in order to sustain dynamic, rewarding projects that the clients love. With the perfect blend art, engineering and passion, Conceptual Kitchens & Millwork has found a recipe for success, and they certainly bring a lot to the table in kitchen design and beyond. Visit Conceptual Kitchens & Millwork in the Indiana Design Center, located at 200 South Rangeline Road in Carmel, Indiana. You can also find them at www.conceptualkitchens.com or follow @ckandm on Instagram.

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Artistry is important to Rob Klein, an avid art collector and Carmel native. After studying fine art in college, he went on to merge his love for design with his natural creative abilities and engineering know-how by founding Conceptual Kitchen & Millwork in 2000, specializing in one-of-akind, bespoke spaces.

Jean Easter & Barbara Gurwitz

The Home Team

By Susan Salaz

PAIR’D Furnishings

The exceptional offerings at PAIR’D Furnishings in Carmel are the perfect blend of quality, craftsmanship and style.

any things in life are better together, and the transitional furniture pieces at PAIR’D Furnishings are uniquely designed to complement a range of styles, from classic to modern and everything in between. “That is how we came up with the name PAIR’D,” says operations manager Stephanie Riwitis. “We like to pair things together, and we like our ‘things’ to work well with your ‘things.’” PAIR’D Furnishings is a fully integrated furniture manufacturer that offers easy glamour, impeccable craftsmanship and timeless styling, with fresh designs deeply rooted in values of uncompromising quality. The characteristics found in the extensive collection layer clean lines, curvaceous accents and intricate details to create a distinctive and contemporary brand. Riwitis says the classical combinations are not only refreshing, but also comfortable and affordable.

Riwitis, who is also a designer, spent years in the furniture industry before opening PAIR’D Furnishings’ flagship store in Carmel. With a background in collaborating with high-end brands, she has received a warm welcome with the custom-made, hand-crafted furniture offered at PAIR’D. Riwitis explains that every process and every detail, from carved chair legs to work finishes and inlays, is executed by hand. “Our craftsmen employ time-honored techniques to create truly beautiful furniture, igniting passion and appreciation for true craftsmanship,” she says, adding that the company operates a factory in Asia occupying over 150,000 square-feet and employing over 400 people. Every piece offered is handmade by their team of highly trained professionals and dedicated workers. Drawing on decades of industry experience, they are committed to consistent product quality and continuous innovation, focusing on long-term sustainability and growth. PAIR’D home furnishings collection is comprised of sofas, chairs, coffee tables, dining and bedroom pieces and home office furnishings. PAIR’D also provides original artwork and decorative accents for the home,

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including sculptures, rugs, lighting and mirrors. Clients are encouraged to take advantage of the in-house design services offered to ensure each piece is the perfect fit. “At PAIR’D, we love helping clients create the space of their dreams with our products. Our design process is fun, collaborative, and organized to ensure the clients feel at ease and truly enjoy themselves during every step of the process. Our goal is for clients to love their space, of course, but we want them to love their experience with PAIR’D Furnishings as well,” says designer Rory Craft. In addition to the current furniture collection, PAIR’D also offers designer collaborations and custom work for their clients. In step with its worldly charm, PAIR’D Furnishings will be a featured vendor at the High Point Market in North Carolina, October 16-20, 2021. The largest home furnishings show in the world, High Point Market is often considered to be the fashion week of home furnishings. “As a company, we believe that the long-term success of our business rests in our ability to serve our customer,” Riwitis says. “And to serve our customer, we believe our products must be the perfect expression of their creative vision.” Visit PAIR’D Furnishings in Carmel at the Indiana Design Center, 200 S. Rangeline Road, or find them online at pairdfurnishingscarmel.com. Follow @pairdfurnishings on Instagram for all of their latest news.

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By Matthew Hume

Sun King Fishers Tap Room & Brewery Clay Robinson and Dave Colt, Sun King’s co-founders and co-CEOs, and the entire Sun King team invite you to celebrate the spirit of Oktoberfest at their Sun King Fishers Tap Room & Brewery!

Sun King Fishers Tap Room & Brewery opened its doors in the Fishers District in early 2020, but the plans for the two-story, family-friendly, 13,000-square-foot brewery and tap room, complete with an event room / beer hall, food vendors, and two outdoor patio areas, had been in the works for years. “When people think of Sun King, they don’t think of food,” says Clay Robinson, Sun King’s co-founder/co-CEO. “We’re great at liquids and fermentation, at creating great beverages and excellent experiences, but we don’t do food.” And so, as they developed a vision for their 116th Street location, Clay and cofounder/co-CEO Dave Colt worked with the City of Fishers to bring local chefs and entrepreneurs from the Fishers Test Kitchen into the Sun King space. “This has allowed us to work in partnership with local restaurants to create offerings people want,” Clay tells me. The Sun King Fishers location also allows Sun King to keep up with

demand for year-round beers, such as Sunlight Cream Ale, Osiris, and Keller Haze, while giving them creative license to experiment with fun and off-the-wall recipes. “It’s an innovation center all around—on the food side with changing concepts, and on the brewing side, where we can really be creative and try fun, different things,” Clay says. Things like the State Fair Funnel Cake Ale, brewed with hundreds of funnel cakes in the mash, created especially for the 2021 Indiana State Fair. Or a beer celebrating the opening of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” as Broadway in Indianapolis returns from pandemic hiatus. “Dave’s working on that recipe now,” Clay says. “It will involve chocolate from Best Chocolate in Town, marshmallow and other fun ingredients.” As much fun as it is to brew and subsequently consume Sun King’s myriad delights, I learned in chatting with Clay that Sun King has never been just about the beer. Early on, before their original downtown Indy location even opened, Clay and Dave would ask each other about their best and worst jobs, what drove them crazy in their work, and how they would run a business. “We thought about how we wanted to treat our people, how we (promotional content)

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wanted to give back to the community, and how to create a culture that encourages people to be themselves, but fit in and work towards a common goal,” Clay tells me. It becomes apparent, then, that Sun King is really about community building and supporting community as much as they are about the beers and spirits they make so well—and that we can’t get enough of. So, as September rolls around again, embrace the new season and head on over to Sun King Fishers if you haven’t already. “The spirit of Oktoberfest is about people gathering to share laughs, eat food, drink beer and have fun, and that is exactly the spirit of Sun King,” Clay explains. “We want people to come and have a great time on our patio or in the tap room, have some beers and enjoy some food, and visit with family and friends,” and Clay adds, “It’s so good to finally be at a time where people are coming out again. It’s kind of the gist of what we do.” The Sun King Brewery at Fishers District is located at 116th Street and IKEA Way. Visit the Fishers location Monday-Wednesday, 3-10PM; Thursday, 11AM-10PM; Friday-Saturday, 11AM-11PM; and Sunday, 11AM-9PM. Current culinary concepts available include Korave Korean BBQ, Lil’ Dumplings Global Street Food, and One Trick Pony Diner-Style Burgers.

Sun King Trivia Q: What movie’s characters are Sun King Fisher’s brewing tanks named after? A: “The Princess Bride.” The movie was one of Clay’s favorites as a boy. The tanks are named Buttercup, Westley, Dread Pirate Roberts, and Inigo Montoya.

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No Stone Unturned

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By Susan Salaz

Photography By Victory Surfaces & The Home Aesthetic

Victory Surfaces is a cutting–edge stone and terrazzo company based in Indianapolis, featuring world-class materials and groundbreaking techniques. They make countertops, of course, but that only scratches the surface of their potential.

t’s in our human nature to create things for use, for beauty and for fun. Todd Ketchum, President of Victory Surfaces, grew up surrounded by artists and has always been a maker. He laid his first terrazzo floor on a U.S. Naval ship in Southern California in the 1970’s, and has been bound to stone work ever since, constantly nurturing his devotion to terrazzo— that eye-catching medley of marble, stone and glass that isn’t just for floors anymore. After a 30year career chipping his way through the ranks of Santarossa Mosaic and Tile (eventually leading the company as President and CEO), Ketchum decided to get back to the heart of making, and through the founding of Victory Surfaces by Gary Edwards in 2015, Ketchum was placed as the company’s president and able to pursue his passions. Artistry and innovation stand out at Victory Surfaces, where no detail is overlooked. They take on large commercial projects, but also work with designers, builders, landscape architects and homeowners. No project is too big, too small, or too eccentric. Tiled ceilings, cement sinks, backlit backsplashes—Victory Surfaces can make it happen. “We’ll even make you a terrazzo trinket box if you want one,” says Ketchum. Just don’t try to put their services inside of one. While stone and terrazzo are obvious choices for floors and countertops (they make plenty of those), Ketchum and his industrious team are always finding ways to reinvent natural and manmade surface materials in surprising and unexpected ways. “If you’ve seen it, or if you can imagine it, we can make it here,” says Ketchum, adding that social media is a great place to find ideas for these “forever

trending” materials. Porcelain is one of those new, or rather historic, materials being rejuvenated in contemporary design. With large format panels, Victory Surfaces is taking porcelain to another level. Used for fireplace facades, floors and shower walls, and even outdoor decking, porcelain panels can be produced in many design and texture options ranging from solid colors to faux metal and marble looks. It is maintenance free and incredibly durable. Victory Surfaces is currently working on porcelain slabs for the exterior of a home—a truly out-of-the-ordinary application. “You’ve never seen anything like this,” insists Ketchum. “But it is going to be gorgeous.” Ketchum has developed an eye for innovation and beauty in his world travels, sourcing stone and forming lasting relationships with craftsmen around the globe. The Indianapolis showroom is stocked with slabs of marble, granite, quartzite, travertine, and limestone, unmatched in color and quality, along with exclusive furnishings to style your space. From illuminated floor lamps made of malleable marble or a mother-of-pearl mosaicked soaking tub, both handmade in Italy, to concrete chaise lounges and terrazzo chairs

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Luxurious in-shower bathtubs are a popular addition to primary bathrooms. This space features woodlook porcelain plank flooring, with granite for the tub deck, vanity and trim, along with glass tile accents.

See something on social media that you want to replicate in your own home? Come talk to Todd and his team at Victory Surfaces.

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made right there in the workshop, each visit will bring new and whimsical inspiration. Just like the multifarious surface of terrazzo, each team member at Victory Surfaces brings an important skillset to the aggregate. Many of the employees have been working together for several decades, tightly binding the team. Ketchum puts trust in this group, saying, “There is a connectivity here, and that makes it easy to try new things and find success.” Visit the showroom at Victory Surfaces, located at 5720 Kopetsky Drive, Suite J, on the south side of Indianapolis, or find them online at victorysurfaces.com. Follow @ victorysurfaces on Instagram for stone and terrazzo inspiration.

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