The Worth of Concrete Countertops: Personalization Boosts Aesthetic Allure and Property Financial Investment for Homeown

1. From top-dollar residences in the San Francisco Bay Area to sprawling mountain homes in the Colorado Mountain ranges, discriminating house owners are demanding customized styles and also surfaces in their kitchen areas. Specifically, they are seeking to reveal their individuality and unique style preferences with the rapid expanding style material of option-- concrete. As a matter of fact, concrete countertops have become somewhat of a standing symbol for kitchens, rivaling granite and also various other high-end counter top surface area choices. Consumer Information Magazine (August 2004) placed concrete greatest for its "customization" as well as "exclusivity" among high-end kitchen area counter tops. As a custom-made item, the quantity of time as well as craftsmanship called for to generate concrete counter tops positions them as the most labor-intensive and priciest among leading countertop materials. However, concrete counter tops are coming to be a lot more obtainable for those on a small spending plan. The latest diy (DIY) pattern to captivate home owners and building contractors is building your very own concrete counter top. This phenomenon has gained popularity mostly due to Cheng's best-selling book Concrete Countertops: Layout, Kinds, and Finishes for the New Kitchen Area and also Bath (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little monetary financial investment in making concrete kitchen counters, yet the creative gains of collaborating with concrete abound. THE SHOWSTOPPER Increasingly, home owners are relocating away from the tedious, manufactured appearance of standard kitchen counter surface areas and choosing concrete for its earthy, ageless appeal. And also, the options for personalizing concrete countertops are limitless: one can tint, polish, stamp and tarnish concrete or imbed personal things like rocks, seashells as well as fossils right into the kitchen counter's surface, including sentiment and personality. Functional functions such as drainpipe boards, soap recipes, and trivets can likewise be integrated to fit the homeowners' very own demands and also way of living. Concrete is gradually ending up being debunked as classically cool as well as industrial. In contrary, this age-old material is cozy as well as remarkably tactile; people can not aid but touch their smooth, refined surfaces. Real estate representative Happiness Rasmussen, who has just recently sold her hill home-- a short-term financial investment building in Steamboat Springs, CO-- states her visitors' experiences with concrete: "When I had open residences, visitors moved to the concrete counter tops-- many people around right here have never ever seen them". Pleasure's 2,265 sq. ft. hill residence was customized develop by her hubby, Ken Otterman, together with KJ Otterman, president of Standard Unique Personalized Residences. They built pour-in-place concrete counters for the residence's kitchen as well as three washrooms by using Concrete Countertops as their guide. The sand- colored concrete countertops were polished smooth, after that coupled with all-natural slate of varying colors-- like charcoal, corrosion and gold tones-- that forms the backsplashes in the kitchen as well as bathrooms. As a layout accent, small rectangle-shaped slate ceramic tiles were included in the rim of the washroom sinks, which supplied a special detail to the custom vanities.

2. When Joy and also Ken made a decision to sell their residence, their investment in concrete kitchen counters proved its value. "We had the ability to provide your house $20,000 over market price, and had no worry selling it," remarks Joy, while talking about the lengthy checklist of upgrades throughout their home, consisting of knotty want strong doors, all-natural slate wall surface accents as well as wood floorings. "The concrete counter tops were conveniently the most special as well as remarkable of all the coatings. I believe they were a significant component in adding worth to the house. Around below, all you see in homes are granite countertops-- and also I really think homebuyers are obtaining rather numb with granite." " Concrete countertops are a distinct offering to property buyers that see the very same finishes utilized in house after home they check out," describes Happiness, providing her monitoring as a skilled realtor. "Having concrete kitchen counters virtually provides you boasting legal rights-- you have something various from your next-door neighbors." DAMAGING THE MOLD AND MILDEW An additional advantage of concrete is its versatility in either modern-day or standard settings, particularly when combined with other products like diverse metals, timber or rock. "Concrete includes numerous [possibilities] to stone, as well as the combination with slate, which is widely prominent right here, provides the hill houses a general cozy, natural touch," says Delight. Happiness as well as Ken have actually given that constructed a much bigger house (4,000 sq. ft.) that offers expansive views of the Steamboat Ski Resort and is meant to act as a long-term investment for the couple. They have actually also increased their list of custom-made finishes, including hand-troweled wall surfaces, classy oil- rubbed bronze equipment, knotty pine doors that curve on top, cabinets in an all-natural, knotty alder, and their favorite-- concrete kitchen area counter tops. Unlike in their previous residence, KJ as well as his specialized team poured charcoal-colored countertops using the pre-cast technique in the unfinished basement of the brand-new residence. Before pouring the concrete, they sprayed a range of semi-precious rocks in the mold and mildew consisting of Leopardskin, Moonstone, Mother- of-Pearl and Blue-green. After the surface was ground and lightly brightened, the completed result was an outstanding mix of colors, "Without a doubt, the Mother-of-Pearl was one of the most extraordinary," states Joy. The L-shaped concrete counter top has a harsh, rustic stone look, enhancing its tough nation surroundings. An essential drain board and also trivets provides feature as well as included interest to the concrete counter top. All- natural slate backsplashes, countertops holland mi unique wall accents, as well as a butcher block counter top at the cooking area island all reverberate with the traditional heat and also earthiness of the concrete kitchen counters. Happiness as well as Ken's particular backgrounds in realty and custom homebuilding, and also as financial investment homebuyers, have actually assisted them understand that concrete countertops can include significant visual and also economic worth to a residence. Concrete's personalization as well as "show-stopping" charm is like

3. nothing else kitchen counter surface. Cheng is a proponent of psychological aesthetic appeals and constructing residences that record these emotions, as when it comes to Happiness as well as Ken Otterman. Cheng wraps up: "People really want distinction, something individual, something custom-- and concrete can do that for them."