One to Watch: Crete Collective Makes Concrete Cool Again

In late 2019, Sam Wilkins and Dallyn Volkman were looking for a change. They both held senior roles in construction at the time, having worked in the industry for a combined 30 years: Wilkins managed a Ramco Foundation Repair while Volkman was superintendent at Integrated Construction. “We were always talking about doing something a little more creative and less construction focused,” says Wilkins. “I’ve always had an interest in design.”

So, they began experimenting with custom concrete work. “Everything from countertops to fireplaces to tables,” Wilkins says. “But as we kept learning our skillset within that industry, we found this gap in Canada of European-inspired concrete sinks.” From there, the future of Crete Collective was set in stone: from the company’s home in Edmonton, the duo—soon to grow to three with the addition of Red Seal journeyman welder Ezra Wilkins, who handles client relations and operations—would create, from concept to manufacturing, sculptural, colourful and strikingly beautiful made-to-order concrete sinks.

The first order of business was knowing what they didn’t want. “Everything [else available] was very bulky, very big,” says Wilkins. “And we knew with the technology of concrete now we could thin everything down even further.”

Take the Lily line of sinks, Crete Collective’s debut design: they’re available round, rectangular or square, with slim, half-inch vertical walls and a low profile of less than four inches—bringing a modern, minimalist vibe. The smooth vessel looks like it would be just as at home as a pasta bowl on an impeccably decorated table as it is in a powder room. With 35 colour options (ranging from soft mint to bold coral), the sinks easily become the star of the show, and that’s the point. “The [design] side of things was about bringing some level of joy or a spark of happiness into these spaces that we use every single day,” Wilkins explains.

While the dreamy, design-forward sinks are eye-catching, it’s the method and materials at work here that make Crete Collective stand out. The concrete itself is made from only natural materials (like fly ash) and 45 percent of those materials are recycled. Those bold colourways aren’t just a finish, either—the pigments are mixed into a white concrete base, which Wilkins and Volkman played with until they got each tone just right.

Crete Collective isn’t finished experimenting yet: Wilkins and Volkman are aiming to design accessible sinks for those with disabilities. To do this, they’re tapping into the “collective” part of their name, collaborating with local craftspeople, whose specialties they call upon at different points in the process. These talented partners range from model-makers (like the ones who helped shape the fluted, mid-century modern Geni sink) to mould-making prototypers to the welders at Forge 53, who designed the newest addition to Crete Collective’s offerings: distinct and stylish vanity stands with an extra-small footprint—ideal for powder rooms or apartment bathrooms.

While Crete Collective’s sinks are made from start to finish in its Edmonton facility, the three-person manufacturing team is also the distribution crew, and the PR. Crete Collective was at IDS Vancouver in September 2024, and the team’s sinks are now carried in seven showrooms nationwide. “We’re really pumped because everything is where we want it to be now,” says Wilkins, although his experimental brain isn’t done playing just yet. “We’re really happy with the product and our process, but for me I’m ready to go back to the lab and start coming up with new concepts.”