The Value of Concrete Countertops: Personalization Increases Aesthetic Allure and Property Financial Investment for Home

1. From top-dollar residences in the San Francisco Bay Area to sprawling mountain houses in the Colorado Mountain ranges, differentiating house owners are requiring custom designs as well as surfaces in their kitchens. In particular, they are seeking to share their individuality and distinctive design choices with the rapid expanding layout material of selection-- concrete. In fact, concrete counter tops have become rather of a standing icon for cooking areas, rivaling granite as well as other premium counter top surface area choices. Consumer Reports Magazine (August 2004) ranked concrete highest for its "customization" and "exclusivity" among high-end cooking area counter tops. As a custom-made item, the amount of time and workmanship called for to create concrete kitchen counters puts them as the most labor-intensive as well as priciest among leading kitchen counter products. Nevertheless, concrete kitchen counters are becoming a lot more accessible for those on a moderate budget. The current diy (Do It Yourself) pattern to mesmerize homeowners and also building contractors is building your very own concrete counter top. This phenomenon has acquired appeal greatly due to Cheng's very popular publication Concrete Countertops: Layout, Types, as well as Ends Up for the New Cooking Area and Bathroom (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little financial financial investment in making concrete counter tops, yet the creative gains of dealing with concrete abound. THE SHOWSTOPPER Significantly, property owners are relocating far from the tedious, manufactured look of traditional countertop surface areas as well as picking concrete for its earthy, classic appeal. Plus, the choices for individualizing concrete countertops are endless: one can color, gloss, stamp and also discolor concrete or imbed personal things like rocks, seashells as well as fossils right into the counter top's surface, adding sentiment as well as personality. Functional attributes such as drain boards, soap recipes, as well as trivets can additionally be integrated to suit the homeowners' very own requirements as well as lifestyle. Concrete is gradually becoming demystified as classically chilly and also industrial. In contrary, this old-time material is cozy as well as remarkably responsive; individuals can not help yet touch their smooth, sleek surfaces. Realty agent Pleasure Rasmussen, that has actually recently marketed her hill home-- a temporary investment residential property in Boat Springs, Carbon Monoxide-- recounts her site visitors' experiences with concrete: "When I had open homes, site visitors gravitated to the concrete countertops-- many people around right here have never ever seen them". Joy's 2,265 sq. ft. mountain residence was custom construct by her hubby, Ken Otterman, along with KJ Otterman, president of Classic Unique Personalized Homes. They built pour-in-place concrete counters for the home's kitchen area and 3 washrooms by utilizing Concrete Countertops as their overview. The sand-colored concrete counter tops were brightened smooth, after that coupled with natural slate of varying colors-- like charcoal, rust as well as gold tones-- that develops the backsplashes in the kitchen and bathrooms. As a design accent, tiny

2. rectangular slate ceramic tiles were included in the edge of the washroom sinks, which supplied an unique detail to the custom vanities. When Pleasure and Ken chose to offer their house, their investment in concrete countertops proved its worth. "We were able to note your home $20,000 over market value, and also had no worry marketing it," comments Pleasure, while going over the lengthy listing of upgrades throughout their residence, including knotty pine solid doors, natural slate wall surface accents and hardwood floors. "The concrete countertops were quickly the most one-of- a-kind and also impressive of all the surfaces. I think they were a huge part in adding worth to the house. Around right here, all you see in residences are granite countertops-- as well as I truly assume buyers are obtaining fairly numb with granite." " Concrete counter tops are an one-of-a-kind offering to property buyers who see the very same surfaces used in house after home they visit," explains Happiness, providing her monitoring as an experienced realtor. "Having concrete kitchen counters virtually gives you boasting civil liberties-- you have something different from your neighbors." DAMAGING THE MOLD An additional advantage of concrete is its adaptability in either modern-day or traditional settings, especially when combined with other materials like varied metals, timber or stone. "Concrete adds many [opportunities] to rock, and the mix with slate, which is hugely popular below, provides the mountain houses countertops msi an overall cozy, natural touch," says Joy. Delight as well as Ken have since constructed a much bigger house (4,000 sq. ft.) that uses large views of the Steamboat Ski Hotel and also is meant to work as a long-lasting financial investment for the couple. They have actually additionally broadened their list of custom coatings, including hand-troweled wall surfaces, classy oil- rubbed bronze hardware, knotty yearn doors that arch at the top, cupboards in a natural, knotty alder, and their favored-- concrete cooking area countertops. Unlike in their previous home, KJ and his specialized team poured charcoal-colored counter tops utilizing the pre- cast method in the unfinished cellar of the new