The Value of Concrete Countertops: Modification Rises Aesthetic Appeal and Realty Investment for Homeowners

1. From top-dollar homes in the San Francisco Bay Area to stretching mountain houses in the Colorado Mountain ranges, differentiating homeowners are demanding personalized designs and surfaces in their kitchen areas. In particular, they are wanting to reveal their uniqueness and also distinctive design choices with the fast growing style product of choice-- concrete. Actually, concrete kitchen counters have actually ended up being somewhat of a standing symbol for cooking areas, rivaling granite as well as other high-end countertop surface alternatives. Customer Information Publication (August 2004) ranked concrete highest possible for its "modification" as well as "exclusivity" among premium kitchen area counter tops. As a personalized product, the quantity of time and also workmanship needed to generate concrete counter tops positions them as the most labor-intensive as well as most expensive among leading counter top materials. Nevertheless, concrete kitchen counters are coming to be a lot more obtainable for those on a moderate spending plan. The most recent diy (Do It Yourself) pattern to mesmerize house owners and contractors is constructing your own concrete kitchen counter. This phenomenon has gained popularity largely as a result of Cheng's very successful publication Concrete Countertops: Style, Forms, as well as Completes for the New Kitchen as well as Bathroom (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little financial investment in making concrete counter tops, yet the creative gains of working with concrete abound. THE SHOWSTOPPER Increasingly, homeowners are relocating far from the monotonous, manufactured look of typical countertop surfaces as well as choosing concrete for its earthy, classic allure. Plus, the alternatives for personalizing concrete kitchen counters are countless: one can tint, polish, stamp and also discolor concrete or imbed individual objects like rocks, seashells and fossils right into the kitchen counter's surface area, including belief and also character. Functional attributes such as drain boards, soap meals, and trivets can additionally be included to match the homeowners' very own requirements and also way of life. Concrete is slowly ending up being debunked as characteristically cool as well as industrial. In contrary, this olden material is cozy and remarkably tactile; individuals can not help but touch their smooth, refined surface areas. Realty agent Happiness Rasmussen, that has just recently offered her hill home-- a short-term financial investment residential property in Boat Springs, CO-- recounts her visitors' experiences with concrete: "When I had open residences, visitors moved to the concrete kitchen counters-- many individuals around here have actually never ever seen them". Joy's 2,265 sq. ft. mountain house was personalized develop by her partner, Ken Otterman, together with KJ Otterman, president of Standard Special Personalized Houses. They constructed pour-in-place concrete counters for the residence's kitchen as well as three bathrooms by using Concrete Countertops as their guide. The sand- colored concrete kitchen counters were polished smooth, then coupled with natural slate of varying colors-- like

2. charcoal, rust as well as gold tones-- that creates the backsplashes in the kitchen area and bathrooms. As a layout accent, tiny rectangular slate tiles were included in the rim of the bathroom sinks, which supplied an unique information to the custom vanities. When Delight and also Ken made a decision to sell their residence, their investment in concrete countertops confirmed its worth. "We were able to detail your home $20,000 over market price, as well as had no worry selling it," remarks Delight, while discussing the lengthy checklist of upgrades throughout their home, consisting of knotty ache solid doors, all-natural slate wall accents and also wood floors. "The concrete kitchen counters were conveniently the most one-of-a-kind as well as outstanding of all the surfaces. I believe they were a big component in adding worth to the house. Around right here, all you see in homes are granite countertops-- and I truly think buyers are getting quite numb with granite." " Concrete kitchen counters are an one-of-a-kind offering to property buyers that see the same surfaces used in house after house they check out," clarifies Pleasure, using her observation as a seasoned real estate professional. "Having concrete countertops practically provides you boasting rights-- you have something different from your next-door neighbors." DAMAGING THE MOLD Another benefit of concrete is its flexibility in either modern-day or typical setups, especially when paired with other products like different metals, timber or stone. "Concrete adds so many [possibilities] to rock, and also the mix with slate, which s&b countertops is widely preferred here, gives the mountain houses a general warm, all- natural touch," says Pleasure. Delight as well as Ken have actually since constructed a much larger home (4,000 sq. ft.) that offers large sights of the Steamboat Ski Resort and is indicated to work as a long-lasting investment for the pair. They have actually additionally expanded their listing of custom surfaces, including hand-troweled wall surfaces, sophisticated oil- rubbed bronze equipment, knotty yearn doors that arch on top, closets in a natural, knotty alder, and their favorite-- concrete cooking area counter tops. Unlike in their previous residence, KJ and his specialized staff put charcoal-colored countertops using the pre-cast technique in the incomplete cellar of the brand-new residence. Before pouring the concrete, they sprayed a range of semi-precious stones in the mold and mildew consisting of Leopardskin, Moonstone, Mother-of-Pearl as well as Turquoise. After the surface area was ground and lightly brightened, the completed outcome was a remarkable blend of shades, "By far, the Mother-of-Pearl was one of the most extraordinary," states Happiness. The L-shaped concrete counter top has a harsh, rustic rock appearance, matching its sturdy nation surroundings. An indispensable drain board and also trivets offers function and included passion to the concrete counter top. Natural slate backsplashes, distinct wall surface accents, and a butcher block kitchen counter at the kitchen area island all resonate with the typical heat and earthiness of the concrete counter tops. Joy and also Ken's corresponding backgrounds in realty as well as custom homebuilding, and also as investment homebuyers, have assisted them recognize that concrete counter tops can add remarkable visual as well as monetary worth to a house. Concrete's modification as well as "show-stopping" charm is like nothing else counter top surface area. Cheng is a proponent of psychological aesthetic appeals and also constructing houses that capture these emotions, as in the case of Pleasure and also Ken Otterman. Cheng wraps up: "People actually desire differentiation, something individual, something custom-made-- and concrete can do that for them."