Okafor Bar Counter
Bar build · Concrete + Steel + Oak · Private home, Banana Island, Lagos
the process
Client
Mr. Chidi Okafor — private client, Banana Island, Lagos
Brief
I want a home bar that looks like nothing else in a home in Nigeria. My reference is brutalist architecture — raw concrete, dark wood, steel edges. No shine, no mirror glass. No tiles. Everything matte and honest.
Material Direction
Concrete counter, dark oak front, steel edge detailing
Timeline
6 Weeks
Budget Tier
Signature Build tier
Our Response
The Okafor brief was one of the most specific we have received. The client had done his homework — he arrived with architectural references and a clear sensibility. Our work was to execute his vision at a level he could not achieve through standard contractors.
The bar counter: poured micro-cement over a steel-reinforced structural timber substrate — 3200mm long, 650mm deep, 1050mm high. The front panel: 40mm thick dark-smoked oak boards, hand-planed on the face, exposed end grain at each end. Steel angle iron edging at the counter nose and the base — raw, degreased, wax-sealed only.
The backbar: open steel shelving on a wall-mounted welded flat bar frame, adjustable shelf pins, powder-coated matte black. No mirror. The wall behind is exposed unpainted concrete block.
The micro-cement was poured in two lifts to avoid cracking. After curing, it was sealed with a penetrating matte sealer that deepens the grey and protects against spirits.
Work in Progress
Delivery Story
Installation was a three-day process — the steel and oak components on day one, the micro-cement poured on day two, sealing and backbar installation on day three. Mr. Okafor’s architect was present for the full install. On the final day, he photographed every detail and sent the images to the client before we had left the building. The comment back: ‘This is exactly the brutalism I wanted.