The Value of Concrete Countertops: Customization Boosts Aesthetic Allure as well as Realty Financial Investment for Home

1. From top-dollar residences in the San Francisco Bay Location to stretching mountain houses in the Colorado Rockies, discriminating property owners are requiring personalized layouts as well as surfaces in their kitchen areas. In particular, they are wanting to reveal their originality and also distinctive design preferences with the quick growing layout product of choice-- concrete. Actually, concrete countertops have actually ended up being somewhat of a status symbol for kitchens, measuring up to granite and other high-end counter top surface choices. Consumer Reports Magazine (August 2004) placed concrete greatest for its "modification" and "exclusivity" amongst high-end kitchen countertops. As a customized product, the amount of time as well as workmanship needed to generate concrete kitchen counters places them as the most labor-intensive and also most expensive amongst leading counter top materials. Nevertheless, concrete countertops are becoming much more easily accessible for those on a moderate budget plan. The current do-it-yourself (DIY) fad to captivate home owners as well as home builders is developing your very own concrete countertop. This sensation has actually gained appeal mostly as a result of Cheng's very successful book Concrete Countertops: Style, Forms, as well as Completes for the New Cooking Area and also Bath (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little monetary investment in making concrete countertops, yet the innovative gains of collaborating with concrete abound. THE SHOWSTOPPER Significantly, home owners are moving far from the monotonous, manufactured appearance of conventional kitchen counter surfaces as well as selecting concrete for its earthy, timeless charm. And also, the options for customizing concrete kitchen counters are unlimited: one can tint, polish, stamp and also discolor concrete or imbed personal objects like stones, seashells and fossils right into the kitchen counter's surface, including sentiment as well as personality. Functional attributes such as drainpipe boards, soap dishes, and trivets can also be integrated to fit the property owners' very own demands and way of living. Concrete is slowly ending up being demystified as characteristically cold and also industrial. In contrary, this olden product is warm and remarkably responsive; people can not assist but touch their smooth, polished surface areas. Realty representative Happiness Rasmussen, who has actually lately offered her hill house-- a short-term financial investment home in Boat Springs, CO-- states her site visitors' experiences with concrete: "When I had open houses, visitors moved countertops made of to the concrete countertops-- lots of people around here have never seen them". Delight's 2,265 sq. ft. hill home was custom develop by her other half, Ken Otterman, in addition to KJ Otterman, president of Classic Unique Customized Houses. They built pour-in-place concrete counters for the residence's cooking area as well as 3 shower rooms by utilizing Concrete Countertops as their guide. The sand-colored concrete kitchen counters were polished smooth, after that coupled with all-natural slate of varying colors-- like charcoal, rust as well as gold tones-- that forms the backsplashes in the kitchen and bathrooms. As a style accent,

2. tiny rectangular slate ceramic tiles were added to the rim of the washroom sinks, which offered an unique detail to the custom-made vanities. When Pleasure as well as Ken made a decision to offer their home, their investment in concrete countertops confirmed its worth. "We had the ability to list the house $20,000 over market price, and had no problems offering it," comments Happiness, while discussing the long listing of upgrades throughout their house, consisting of knotty want strong doors, all-natural slate wall surface accents as well as hardwood floorings. "The concrete countertops were conveniently the most one-of-a-kind and outstanding of all the surfaces. I think they were a massive part in including value to the house. Around below, all you see in houses are granite kitchen counters-- and I really assume buyers are getting fairly numb with granite." " Concrete countertops are an unique offering to homebuyers that see the exact same coatings utilized in home after home they see," discusses Pleasure, supplying her observation as a seasoned real estate professional. "Having concrete countertops virtually offers you bragging legal rights-- you have something various from your neighbors." BREAKING THE MOLD Another advantage of concrete is its adaptability in either contemporary or typical setups, specifically when coupled with other products like varied steels, wood or rock. "Concrete includes a lot of [possibilities] to rock, and the mix with slate, which is widely preferred here, offers the mountain residences an overall cozy, all-natural touch," says Joy. Happiness and also Ken have actually because developed a much bigger home (4,000 sq. ft.) that provides expansive sights of the Boat Ski Hotel as well as is meant to serve as a long-term financial investment for the couple. They've also expanded their list of customized coatings, including hand-troweled wall surfaces, stylish oil- rubbed bronze hardware, knotty pine doors that curve on top, cabinets in a natural, knotty alder, and also their preferred-- concrete kitchen counter tops. Unlike in their previous house, KJ and also his specialized team poured charcoal-colored kitchen counters using the pre-cast method in the unfinished cellar of the brand-new