The Value of Concrete Countertops: Modification Boosts Visual Charm and also Real Estate Investment for Homeowners

1. From top-dollar homes in the San Francisco Bay Location to sprawling a h countertops abbotsford mountain residences in the Colorado Mountain ranges, differentiating homeowners are requiring customized layouts as well as finishes in their cooking areas. In particular, they are wanting to reveal their uniqueness as well as distinctive layout choices with the rapid growing layout product of choice-- concrete. In fact, concrete counter tops have become rather of a status sign for cooking areas, equaling granite and also other premium countertop surface area options. Customer News Publication (August 2004) ranked concrete highest possible for its "customization" and "exclusivity" amongst high-end kitchen area countertops. As a custom-made product, the quantity of time and craftsmanship needed to produce concrete counter tops positions them as one of the most labor-intensive and also priciest among leading countertop products. Nonetheless, concrete counter tops are ending up being much more easily accessible for those on a modest budget. The current diy (Do It Yourself) trend to astound homeowners and also builders is constructing your own concrete kitchen counter. This sensation has obtained popularity mainly as a result of Cheng's very successful publication Concrete Countertops: Style, Kinds, as well as Finishes for the New Cooking Area as well as Bathroom (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little financial investment in making concrete counter tops, yet the innovative gains of collaborating with concrete abound. THE SHOWSTOPPER Significantly, house owners are relocating far from the monotonous, manufactured appearance of typical kitchen counter surface areas and also choosing concrete for its natural, ageless allure. And also, the alternatives for customizing concrete kitchen counters are limitless: one can color, gloss, stamp and also stain concrete or imbed individual items like stones, seashells and also fossils right into the countertop's surface, including sentiment and personality. Useful attributes such as drain boards, soap meals, as well as trivets can also be incorporated to match the home owners' own requirements as well as lifestyle. Concrete is gradually coming to be demystified as classically chilly and also industrial. In contrary, this age-old material is warm and also surprisingly responsive; people can not aid yet touch their smooth, polished surfaces. Property agent Happiness Rasmussen, that has lately sold her mountain house-- a short-term financial investment building in Steamboat Springs, CO-- recounts her site visitors' experiences with concrete: "When I had open houses, site visitors gravitated to the concrete kitchen counters-- many people around right here have actually never ever seen them". Happiness's 2,265 sq. ft. mountain home was custom-made construct by her husband, Ken Otterman, along with KJ Otterman, president of Classic Unique Personalized Residences. They developed pour-in-place concrete counters for the residence's cooking area and 3 washrooms by using Concrete Countertops as their overview. The sand-colored concrete counter tops were polished smooth, then coupled with all-natural slate of differing colors-- like charcoal, corrosion and also gold tones-- that develops the backsplashes in the kitchen and baths. As a design accent, small rectangle-shaped slate floor tiles were contributed to the edge of the restroom sinks, which offered a special information to the custom vanities. When Delight as well as Ken chose to sell their house, their financial investment in concrete countertops proved its value. "We were able to list your home $20,000 over market value, as well as had no worry marketing it," comments Joy, while talking about the lengthy checklist of upgrades throughout their home, including knotty want strong doors, natural slate wall accents and hardwood floorings. "The concrete counter tops were conveniently one of the most unique and outstanding of all the coatings. I think they were a massive component in adding worth to the home. Around right here, all you see in homes are granite counter tops-- as well as I truly assume buyers are getting quite numb with granite."

2. " Concrete countertops are a special offering to property buyers that see the same surfaces utilized in residence after home they see," clarifies Joy, using her observation as a skilled realtor. "Having concrete countertops practically gives you bragging legal rights-- you have something various from your neighbors." BREAKING THE MOLD Another benefit of concrete is its adaptability in either contemporary or traditional settings, especially when combined with other products like diverse steels, timber or stone. "Concrete adds a lot of [possibilities] to stone, as well as the mix with slate, which is hugely preferred below, provides the hill homes a general cozy, natural touch," claims Happiness. Delight as well as Ken have since built a much larger home (4,000 sq. ft.) that uses large sights of the Boat Ski Resort as well as is meant to function as a long-lasting investment for the couple. They have actually also broadened their checklist of custom surfaces, including hand-troweled wall surfaces, sophisticated oil-rubbed bronze hardware, knotty ache doors that curve at the top, cabinets in an all-natural, knotty alder, and their preferred-- concrete kitchen countertops. Unlike in their previous home, KJ and also his specialty staff put charcoal-colored kitchen counters using the pre- cast technique in the incomplete basement of the brand-new home. Prior to pouring the concrete, they sprayed a variety of semi-precious stones in the mold including Leopardskin, Moonstone, Mother-of-Pearl and Blue-green. After the surface area was ground and gently polished, the completed outcome was an outstanding blend of colors, "By far, the Mother-of-Pearl was the most incredible," says Pleasure. The L-shaped concrete countertop has a harsh, rustic stone look, complementing its sturdy nation environments. An essential drainpipe board and also trivets provides feature as well as included rate of interest to the concrete countertop. Natural slate backsplashes, distinct wall accents, as well as a butcher block counter top at the kitchen island all reverberate with the standard warmth and also earthiness of the concrete kitchen counters. Delight and Ken's respective backgrounds in realty as well as personalized homebuilding, and as financial investment homebuyers, have helped them understand that concrete countertops can include significant aesthetic and also financial worth to a residence. Concrete's modification and "show-stopping" appeal resembles nothing else countertop surface. Cheng is an advocate of psychological visual appeals and constructing homes that catch these emotions, as when it comes to Happiness as well as Ken Otterman. Cheng concludes: "Individuals truly want differentiation, something individual, something personalized-- as well as concrete can do that for them."