The Value of Concrete Countertops: Customization Rises Visual Allure and Property Investment for Homeowners

1. From top-dollar homes in the San Francisco Bay Location to stretching hill residences in the Colorado Mountain ranges, differentiating home owners are requiring custom-made designs and also finishes in their kitchens. Specifically, they are looking to express their uniqueness and distinct design choices with the fast growing layout material of choice-- concrete. Actually, concrete kitchen counters have actually come to be rather of a condition icon for kitchens, rivaling granite and also various other high-end counter top surface area options. Consumer News Magazine (August 2004) ranked concrete greatest for its "modification" as well as "exclusivity" amongst premium cooking area counter tops. As a personalized item, the amount of time and craftsmanship called for to generate concrete kitchen counters positions them as the most labor-intensive and most costly among leading counter top materials. However, concrete counter tops are becoming much more accessible for those on a small spending plan. The latest do-it-yourself (DIY) fad to mesmerize house owners and contractors is building your very own concrete kitchen counter. This phenomenon has actually acquired appeal greatly because of Cheng's best-selling publication Concrete Countertops: Style, Kinds, and Finishes for the New Cooking Area and Bathroom (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little monetary financial investment in making concrete countertops, yet the innovative gains of dealing with concrete abound. THE SHOWSTOPPER Significantly, homeowners are relocating far from the dull, manufactured look of traditional countertop surfaces as well as picking concrete for its earthy, timeless allure. And also, the options for personalizing concrete kitchen counters are unlimited: one can color, polish, stamp and tarnish concrete or imbed individual objects like rocks, seashells as well as fossils into the counter top's surface area, adding belief and personality. Practical functions such as drainpipe boards, soap recipes, and also cheapest countertops for kitchen trivets can also be included to fit the homeowners' own needs and also way of living. Concrete is gradually ending up being demystified as typically cold and industrial. In contrary, this olden product is warm as well as remarkably tactile; individuals can not help however touch their smooth, sleek surfaces. Real estate agent Delight Rasmussen, who has recently sold her hill house-- a short-term financial investment property in Boat Springs, Carbon Monoxide-- recounts her site visitors' experiences with concrete: "When I had open houses, visitors was attracted to the concrete countertops-- many people around right here have actually never seen them". Pleasure's 2,265 sq. ft. mountain home was personalized construct by her hubby, Ken Otterman, in addition to KJ Otterman, president of Classic Special Personalized Residences. They developed pour-in-place concrete counters for the home's kitchen and also three restrooms by utilizing Concrete Countertops as their overview. The sand- colored concrete kitchen counters were polished smooth, then paired with all-natural slate of varying shades-- like charcoal, corrosion and gold tones-- that creates the backsplashes in the kitchen and also baths. As a design accent, small rectangle-shaped slate tiles were added to the rim of the bathroom sinks, which supplied a special information to the custom-made vanities. When Happiness and Ken made a decision to market their house, their financial investment in concrete counter tops verified its worth. "We had the ability to note your home $20,000 over market value, and had no problems offering it," remarks Joy, while discussing the lengthy checklist of upgrades throughout their house, including knotty pine strong doors, natural slate wall accents and hardwood floorings. "The concrete counter tops were easily one of the most special as well as excellent of all the coatings. I think they were a substantial part in adding value to the residence. Around right here, all you see in residences are granite kitchen counters-- and also I really think buyers are getting rather numb with granite."

2. " Concrete kitchen counters are an one-of-a-kind offering to property buyers who see the very same surfaces made use of in house after house they go to," discusses Joy, providing her observation as an experienced real estate agent. "Having concrete kitchen counters nearly provides you boasting civil liberties-- you have something various from your next-door neighbors." DAMAGING THE MOLD An additional benefit of concrete is its adaptability in either contemporary or conventional settings, particularly when coupled with various other materials like diverse metals, timber or rock. "Concrete adds so many [possibilities] to rock, and also the mix with slate, which is widely popular here, gives the mountain houses a general warm, all-natural touch," claims Pleasure. Delight and Ken have given that constructed a much bigger residence (4,000 sq. ft.) that supplies expansive views of the Steamboat Ski Hotel and is indicated to function as a lasting financial investment for the couple. They have actually likewise increased their checklist of custom-made surfaces, consisting of hand-troweled walls, elegant oil- rubbed bronze equipment, knotty ache doors that curve at the top, cabinets in a natural, knotty alder, as well as their preferred-- concrete cooking area counter tops. Unlike in their previous residence, KJ as well as his specialty team put charcoal-colored kitchen counters making use of the pre-cast technique in the incomplete basement of the new residence. Prior to putting the concrete, they sprinkled an array of semi-precious stones in the mold and mildew consisting of Leopardskin, Moonstone, Mother-of-Pearl as well as Turquoise. After the surface was ground as well as gently brightened, the finished result was a remarkable mix of colors, "By far, the Mother-of-Pearl was the most extraordinary," says Pleasure. The L-shaped concrete counter top has a rough, rustic rock appearance, complementing its sturdy country surroundings. An indispensable drainpipe board and trivets offers function and also added passion to the concrete counter top. All-natural slate backsplashes, unique wall accents, and also a butcher block countertop at the cooking area island all reverberate with the typical warmth and earthiness of the concrete kitchen counters. Joy and also Ken's particular backgrounds in realty as well as personalized homebuilding, and also as financial investment buyers, have actually aided them recognize that concrete kitchen counters can include significant visual and also financial worth to a house. Concrete's personalization and also "show-stopping" appeal is like nothing else countertop surface. Cheng is an advocate of psychological aesthetics as well as constructing homes that capture these emotions, as in the case of Happiness and also Ken Otterman. Cheng wraps up: "People really want distinction, something personal, something personalized-- and concrete can do that for them."