The Value of Concrete Countertops: Modification Rises Aesthetic Allure as well as Realty Investment for Homeowners

1. From top-dollar houses in the San Francisco Bay Location to sprawling mountain residences in the Colorado Mountain ranges, differentiating home owners are requiring custom-made designs as well as coatings in their kitchens. In particular, they are aiming to reveal their originality and also distinctive layout preferences with the fast expanding style material of choice-- concrete. Actually, concrete counter tops have actually become rather of a standing icon for kitchens, measuring up to granite and other premium counter top surface area alternatives. Customer News Magazine (August 2004) ranked concrete highest possible for its "customization" and "exclusivity" amongst premium cooking area counter tops. As a customized item, the amount of time and craftsmanship called for to generate concrete kitchen counters puts them as the most labor-intensive and most expensive among leading counter top products. Nonetheless, concrete countertops are coming to be more accessible for those on a moderate budget. The latest do-it-yourself (DIY) fad to captivate homeowners and also home builders is developing your very own concrete countertop. This sensation has gained appeal mainly because of Cheng's very successful publication Concrete Countertops: Layout, Forms, as well as Ends Up for the New Kitchen Area and also Bathroom (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little monetary investment in making concrete kitchen counters, yet the creative gains of dealing with concrete abound. THE SHOWSTOPPER Progressively, property owners are relocating far from the dull, manufactured appearance of conventional counter top surface areas and also picking concrete for its earthy, timeless appeal. Plus, the alternatives for personalizing concrete kitchen counters are endless: one can color, polish, stamp as well as tarnish concrete or imbed individual things like rocks, seashells and fossils right into the countertop's surface area, including belief as well as personality. Functional features such as drain boards, soap recipes, as well as trivets can also be incorporated to fit the homeowners' own demands as well as way of life. Concrete is slowly ending up being demystified as characteristically cold and also industrial. In contrary, this olden material is cozy and also surprisingly tactile; people can not aid however touch their smooth, refined surfaces. Real estate representative Happiness Rasmussen, who has just recently offered her mountain home-- a short-term financial investment residential or commercial property in Boat Springs, CO-- recounts her visitors' experiences with concrete: "When I had open residences, visitors moved to the concrete counter tops-- lots of people around right here have never ever seen them". Joy's 2,265 sq. ft. mountain house was custom-made develop by her spouse, Ken Otterman, together with KJ Otterman, head of state of Standard Special Customized Residences. They constructed pour-in-place concrete counters for the house's kitchen and also 3 bathrooms by utilizing Concrete Countertops as their guide. The sand- colored concrete kitchen counters were brightened smooth, after that coupled with all-natural slate of differing shades-- like charcoal, rust and also gold tones-- that creates the backsplashes in the kitchen area and also bathrooms. As a style accent, tiny rectangle-shaped slate tiles were contributed to the edge of the shower room sinks, which supplied an unique information to the customized vanities. When Happiness as well as Ken chose to offer their house, their investment in concrete counter tops showed its worth. "We were able to list the house $20,000 over market price, as well as had no worry offering it," remarks Pleasure, while discussing the lengthy checklist of upgrades throughout their residence, including knotty yearn solid doors, all-natural slate wall surface accents and wood floors. "The concrete counter tops were conveniently the most special and outstanding of all the surfaces. I believe they were a substantial component in adding value to the residence. Around right here, all you see in houses are granite kitchen counters-- and I truly assume buyers are obtaining fairly numb with granite."

2. " Concrete kitchen counters are an unique offering to property buyers that see the exact same finishes made use of in home after home they go to," clarifies Pleasure, supplying her observation as a seasoned real estate professional. "Having concrete countertops practically gives you bragging legal rights-- you have something various from your neighbors." DAMAGING THE MOLD AND MILDEW An additional benefit of concrete is its flexibility in either contemporary or traditional settings, particularly when coupled with various other products like varied steels, wood or stone. "Concrete adds a lot of [possibilities] to stone, and the combination with slate, which is widely prominent right here, provides the mountain houses a general cozy, natural touch," says Delight. Pleasure and also Ken have considering that built a much larger residence (4,000 sq. ft.) that provides expansive views of the Boat Ski Resort and is suggested to act as a lasting investment for the pair. They've likewise broadened their list of custom-made coatings, including hand-troweled walls, elegant oil-rubbed bronze hardware, knotty want doors that curve on top, closets in a natural, knotty alder, as well as their preferred-- concrete kitchen countertops. Unlike in their previous house, KJ and his specialty crew put charcoal-colored kitchen counters making use of the pre-cast technique in the unfinished basement of the brand-new home. Before putting the concrete, they sprinkled a range of semi-precious rocks in the mold and mildew consisting of Leopardskin, Moonstone, Mother- of-Pearl and Turquoise. After the surface was ground and also lightly brightened, the completed result was an outstanding mix of shades, "Without a doubt, the Mother-of-Pearl was one of the most unbelievable," claims Pleasure. The L-shaped concrete counter top has a harsh, rustic stone look, complementing its tough nation environments. An essential drain board and trivets offers feature and also included passion to the concrete counter top. All- natural slate backsplashes, distinctive wall accents, and a butcher block countertop at the kitchen island all ikea countertops installation resonate with the traditional heat as well as earthiness of the concrete counter tops. Happiness and Ken's respective backgrounds in property and also customized homebuilding, and also as investment homebuyers, have aided them recognize that concrete counter tops can include incredible visual and financial value to a home. Concrete's modification and "show-stopping" allure is like no other kitchen counter surface area. Cheng is an advocate of emotional looks as well as constructing residences that capture these feelings, as in the case of Happiness as well as Ken Otterman. Cheng ends: "People actually desire differentiation, something individual, something custom-- and also concrete can do that for them."