The Value of Concrete Countertops: Customization Increases Visual Allure and also Realty Investment for Homeowners

1. From top-dollar homes in the San Francisco Bay Area to stretching hill houses in the Colorado Mountain ranges, differentiating homeowners are demanding custom-made styles as well as coatings in their kitchen areas. Particularly, they are wanting to share their individuality and distinctive layout preferences with the quick growing design product of selection-- countertops near fredericksburg va concrete. As a matter of fact, concrete kitchen counters have actually ended up being rather of a standing icon for kitchens, equaling granite and various other high-end counter top surface choices. Customer Reports Publication (August 2004) rated concrete greatest for its "customization" and "exclusivity" amongst high-end cooking area counter tops. As a personalized product, the quantity of time and also craftsmanship called for to produce concrete kitchen counters puts them as the most labor-intensive as well as priciest amongst leading counter top materials. However, concrete kitchen counters are becoming more obtainable for those on a small spending plan. The latest diy (DIY) trend to captivate homeowners and also builders is building your own concrete kitchen counter. This sensation has acquired popularity greatly as a result of Cheng's very successful book Concrete Countertops: Style, Types, and Finishes for the New Kitchen and Bath (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little monetary financial investment in making concrete countertops, yet the creative gains of working with concrete abound. THE SHOWSTOPPER Increasingly, home owners are moving away from the dull, manufactured look of standard kitchen counter surfaces as well as choosing concrete for its earthy, timeless allure. And also, the alternatives for individualizing concrete countertops are limitless: one can color, gloss, stamp and discolor concrete or imbed individual items like rocks, seashells and fossils right into the kitchen counter's surface area, including view and personality. Useful features such as drain boards, soap dishes, and also trivets can additionally be integrated to suit the property owners' very own demands and also way of living. Concrete is slowly coming to be debunked as characteristically cold and also commercial. In contrary, this age-old product is warm and remarkably responsive; individuals can not assist but touch their smooth, polished surface areas. Realty representative Delight Rasmussen, who has just recently marketed her mountain residence-- a temporary investment building in Boat Springs, CO-- states her site visitors' experiences with concrete: "When I had open residences, visitors gravitated to the concrete kitchen counters-- many individuals around here have never ever seen them". Pleasure's 2,265 sq. ft. hill residence was customized build by her other half, Ken Otterman, in addition to KJ Otterman, president of Classic Special Customized Residences. They developed pour-in-place concrete counters for the home's kitchen area and also three washrooms by utilizing Concrete Countertops as their guide. The sand- colored concrete kitchen counters were polished smooth, after that paired with all-natural slate of differing colors-

2. - like charcoal, rust and gold tones-- that forms the backsplashes in the cooking area as well as bathrooms. As a style accent, small rectangular slate floor tiles were contributed to the rim of the bathroom sinks, which gave a distinct information to the custom vanities. When Happiness and also Ken chose to offer their residence, their investment in concrete kitchen counters confirmed its value. "We had the ability to list your house $20,000 over market value, as well as had not a problem selling it," remarks Delight, while reviewing the lengthy checklist of upgrades throughout their residence, including knotty pine solid doors, natural slate wall accents and also wood floorings. "The concrete counter tops were quickly the most special as well as remarkable of all the coatings. I think they were a significant part in including worth to the home. Around below, all you see in homes are granite countertops-- and I truly think homebuyers are obtaining rather numb with granite." " Concrete countertops are a special offering to property buyers that see the very same finishes used in residence after residence they see," clarifies Delight, using her monitoring as an experienced real estate professional. "Having concrete kitchen counters practically provides you boasting legal rights-- you have something various from your neighbors." DAMAGING THE MOLD AND MILDEW One more benefit of concrete is its adaptability in either modern-day or standard setups, specifically when coupled with various other materials like diverse metals, timber or stone. "Concrete includes many [possibilities] to stone, as well as the combination with slate, which is widely popular right here, provides the hill houses a general cozy, all-natural touch," claims Delight. Delight and also Ken have because built a much larger residence (4,000 sq. ft.) that offers extensive sights of the Steamboat Ski Hotel and also is suggested to work as a long-term investment for the pair. They've likewise increased their checklist of custom-made coatings, including hand-troweled walls, stylish oil-rubbed bronze hardware, knotty pine doors that curve at the top, cupboards in an all-natural, knotty alder, as well as their favorite-- concrete kitchen counter tops. Unlike in their previous house, KJ and his specialized crew put charcoal-colored countertops using the pre-cast approach in the unfinished cellar of the brand-new residence. Before pouring the concrete, they sprayed a variety of semi-precious stones in the mold and mildew consisting of Leopardskin, Moonstone, Mother-of-Pearl and Blue- green. After the surface was ground and also gently brightened, the finished outcome was an excellent mix of shades, "By far, the Mother-of-Pearl was the most amazing," states Pleasure. The L-shaped concrete kitchen counter has a harsh, rustic stone look, matching its tough nation surroundings. An essential drainpipe board and trivets supplies feature as well as included rate of interest to the concrete countertop. All-natural slate backsplashes, distinct wall accents, as well as a butcher block countertop at the cooking area island all resonate with the typical heat as well as earthiness of the concrete countertops. Delight and also Ken's particular histories in real estate and custom homebuilding, and as financial investment buyers, have assisted them recognize that concrete countertops can add significant aesthetic as well as economic value to a residence. Concrete's customization and also "show-stopping" allure is like no other counter top surface. Cheng is an advocate of emotional aesthetics and also building residences that catch these feelings, as in the case of Pleasure and also Ken Otterman. Cheng wraps up: "Individuals truly desire differentiation, something personal, something custom-made-- as well as concrete can do that for them."