The Value of Concrete Countertops: Personalization Rises Aesthetic Charm as well as Realty Investment for Homeowners

1. From top-dollar residences in the San Francisco Bay Location to stretching mountain homes in the Colorado Rockies, differentiating house owners are demanding custom-made layouts as well as finishes in their kitchens. Particularly, they are wanting to express their individuality as well as distinctive design choices with the rapid expanding design product of choice-- concrete. As a matter of fact, concrete countertops have become somewhat of a status symbol for cooking areas, rivaling granite and various other high-end counter top surface choices. Customer News Magazine (August 2004) placed concrete highest possible for its "customization" as well as "exclusivity" among premium kitchen area countertops. As a personalized item, the amount of time and also workmanship required to create concrete kitchen counters places them as one of the most labor-intensive and also most expensive among leading counter top materials. Nevertheless, concrete counter tops are becoming much more obtainable for those on a modest spending plan. The current diy (DIY) pattern to mesmerize house owners and builders is building your very own concrete counter top. This phenomenon has gained appeal mostly because of Cheng's very popular publication Concrete Countertops: Style, Kinds, and Ends Up for the New Kitchen and also Bath (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little financial financial investment in making concrete kitchen counters, yet the imaginative gains of working with concrete abound. THE SHOWSTOPPER Increasingly, homeowners are moving away from the dull, manufactured look of standard kitchen counter surface areas and selecting concrete for its natural, classic appeal. Plus, the alternatives for individualizing concrete countertops are countless: one can tint, polish, stamp and also tarnish concrete or imbed individual objects like rocks, seashells as well as fossils into the kitchen counter's surface, adding sentiment and also personality. Functional features such as drainpipe boards, soap dishes, as well as trivets can likewise be included to suit the property owners' very own requirements and also way of life. Concrete is gradually becoming debunked as classically chilly and industrial. In contrary, this olden material is cozy and also surprisingly tactile; people can not help yet touch their smooth, refined surface areas. Real estate agent Pleasure Rasmussen, who has actually recently offered her hill house-- a short-term investment residential or commercial property in Boat Springs, Carbon Monoxide-- recounts her visitors' experiences with concrete: "When I had open residences, visitors gravitated to the concrete kitchen counters-- many individuals around here have actually never seen them". Happiness's 2,265 sq. ft. hill home was custom develop by her partner, Ken Otterman, together with KJ Otterman, president of Standard Special Customized Residences. They developed pour-in-place concrete counters for the residence's kitchen and also three washrooms by utilizing Concrete Countertops as their overview. The sand- colored concrete counter tops were polished 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 and baths. As a layout accent,

2. little rectangular slate floor tiles were contributed to the rim of the restroom sinks, which supplied an one-of-a- kind detail to the custom-made vanities. When Happiness as well as Ken made a decision to sell their house, their investment in concrete counter tops confirmed its worth. "We had the ability to detail your home $20,000 over market price, and had no problems offering it," comments Happiness, while talking about the long list of upgrades throughout their house, consisting of knotty ache solid doors, all-natural slate wall surface accents and also wood floors. "The concrete counter tops were quickly one of the most unique and outstanding of all the finishes. I believe they were a massive component in adding value to the house. Around right here, all you see in residences are granite countertops-- as well as I truly think buyers are obtaining quite numb with granite." " Concrete counter tops are a distinct offering to property buyers who see the very same coatings made use of in house after house they see," explains Happiness, using her observation as an experienced real estate agent. "Having concrete countertops nearly provides you bragging legal rights-- you have something various from your next-door neighbors." DAMAGING THE MOLD AND MILDEW Another benefit of concrete is its adaptability in either modern or conventional settings, specifically when coupled with other products like different steels, timber or rock. "Concrete adds a lot of [opportunities] to stone, as well as the combination with slate, which is widely preferred right here, provides the hill houses a general warm, all- natural touch," states Pleasure. Happiness as well as Ken have given that built a much bigger home (4,000 sq. ft.) that supplies extensive views of the Steamboat Ski Resort as well as is suggested to act as a long-term investment for the couple. They have actually additionally broadened their list of custom-made finishes, including hand-troweled walls, sophisticated oil-rubbed bronze hardware, knotty ache doors that curve at the top, cabinets in an all-natural, knotty alder, and also their favorite-- concrete kitchen counter tops. Unlike in their previous residence, KJ and his specialized countertops yuba city team poured charcoal-colored countertops making use of the pre-cast technique in the incomplete cellar of the brand-new home. Before putting the concrete, they sprinkled a selection of semi-precious rocks in the mold including Leopardskin, Moonstone, Mother-of-Pearl and also Turquoise. After the surface area was ground as well as lightly brightened, the finished outcome was a remarkable blend of shades, "Without a doubt, the Mother-of-Pearl was one of the most unbelievable," states Delight. The L-shaped concrete kitchen counter has a rough, rustic stone appearance, enhancing its sturdy nation environments. An essential drain board and trivets offers function and added interest to the concrete counter top. All-natural slate backsplashes, distinct wall accents, and a butcher block counter top at the kitchen area island all reverberate with the traditional heat and also earthiness of the concrete counter tops. Joy and Ken's corresponding backgrounds in property and custom-made homebuilding, and also as investment homebuyers, have actually helped them recognize that concrete kitchen counters can add significant visual and also financial worth to a house. Concrete's personalization and "show-stopping" appeal resembles no other countertop surface. Cheng is a supporter of emotional aesthetics and constructing homes that catch these emotions, as in the case of Pleasure as well as Ken Otterman. Cheng concludes: "Individuals actually desire differentiation, something personal, something custom-- and also concrete can do that for them."