The Worth of Concrete Countertops: Personalization Boosts Visual Allure and Property Financial Investment for Homeowners

1. From top-dollar residences in the San Francisco Bay Location to sprawling hill homes in the Colorado Mountain ranges, differentiating property owners are demanding personalized styles and also finishes in their kitchens. Specifically, they are seeking to share their originality and also distinct style preferences with the fast growing design material of option-- concrete. As a matter of fact, concrete kitchen counters have actually come to be somewhat of a condition symbol for kitchens, matching granite as well as various other high-end countertop surface area alternatives. Consumer Information Publication (August 2004) ranked concrete highest possible for its "customization" as well as "exclusivity" among premium kitchen area countertops. As a personalized item, the quantity of time and also workmanship called for to produce concrete countertops places them as the most labor-intensive and also priciest among leading countertop products. Nonetheless, concrete countertops are becoming more easily accessible for those on a small budget plan. The most recent diy (Do It Yourself) pattern to astound property owners and builders is constructing your very own concrete counter top. This sensation has gained popularity mainly because of Cheng's very successful book Concrete Countertops: Layout, Types, as well as Finishes for the New Kitchen Area as well as Bathroom (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little financial investment in making concrete counter tops, yet the imaginative gains of dealing with concrete abound. THE SHOWSTOPPER Significantly, property owners are relocating far from the monotonous, manufactured look of traditional counter top surface areas and selecting concrete for its earthy, ageless charm. And also, the alternatives for customizing concrete kitchen counters are limitless: one can color, gloss, stamp and also stain concrete or imbed individual things like stones, seashells and also fossils right into the counter top's surface area, including sentiment as well as personality. Functional features such as drainpipe boards, soap recipes, as well as trivets can also be included to fit the home owners' own needs and way of living. Concrete is slowly becoming debunked as classically chilly and industrial. In contrary, this age-old product is warm and also surprisingly responsive; individuals can not help but touch their smooth, sleek surface areas. Real estate representative Joy Rasmussen, who has actually just recently marketed her mountain house-- a temporary investment building in Steamboat Springs, Carbon Monoxide-- recounts her site visitors' experiences with concrete: "When I had open residences, site visitors was attracted to the concrete countertops-- many people around below have never seen them". Joy's 2,265 sq. ft. hill residence was custom-made develop by her spouse, Ken Otterman, together with KJ Otterman, president of Standard Unique Personalized Houses. They developed pour-in-place concrete counters for the residence's kitchen as well as three restrooms by utilizing Concrete Countertops as their guide. The sand- colored concrete kitchen counters were polished smooth, then paired with all-natural slate of varying shades-- like

2. charcoal, rust as well as gold tones-- that creates the backsplashes in the kitchen area as well as baths. As a layout accent, small rectangle-shaped slate ceramic tiles were included in the edge of the washroom sinks, which provided an one-of-a-kind information to the custom-made vanities. When Pleasure and also Ken decided to market their home, their investment in concrete kitchen counters confirmed its value. "We had the ability to note the house $20,000 over market price, and also had no problems selling it," remarks Joy, while reviewing the long checklist of upgrades throughout their home, including knotty ache strong doors, all-natural slate wall surface accents and hardwood floorings. "The concrete countertops were easily the most special and excellent of all the finishes. I think they were a significant part in adding worth to the house. Around right here, all you see in homes are granite kitchen counters-- and also I actually assume property buyers are getting quite numb with granite." " Concrete kitchen counters are an one-of-a-kind offering to property buyers who see the very same finishes used in house after house they check out," discusses Joy, supplying her observation as a skilled real estate agent. "Having concrete counter tops practically gives you boasting legal rights-- you have something various from your next-door neighbors." BREAKING THE MOLD AND MILDEW An additional benefit of concrete is its flexibility in either modern-day or traditional settings, specifically when paired with other materials like different steels, timber or rock. "Concrete adds many [opportunities] to stone, as well as the mix with slate, which is extremely prominent below, gives the mountain houses a general warm, natural touch," states Delight. Pleasure as well as Ken have since developed a much larger home (4,000 sq. ft.) that offers expansive views of the Steamboat Ski Hotel and is meant to function as a long-lasting financial investment for the couple. They've additionally broadened their listing of custom-made surfaces, including hand-troweled wall surfaces, stylish oil- rubbed bronze hardware, knotty want doors that arch on top, closets in a natural, knotty alder, and also their favored-- concrete kitchen area counter tops. Unlike in their previous residence, KJ as well as his specialty team poured charcoal-colored counter tops using the pre-cast method in the incomplete cellar of the new home. Before putting the concrete, they sprinkled a selection of semi-precious rocks in the mold and mildew including Leopardskin, Moonstone, Mother-of-Pearl and also Blue- green. After the surface area was ground and also gently polished, the completed result was an excellent blend of colors, "Without a doubt, the Mother-of-Pearl was the most unbelievable," claims Happiness. The L-shaped concrete counter top has a rough, rustic stone appearance, complementing its rugged country surroundings. An integral drain board and trivets offers function and included rate of interest to the concrete kitchen counter. Natural slate backsplashes, unique wall surface accents, and also a butcher block kitchen counter at the kitchen island all resonate with the conventional warmth as well as earthiness of the concrete kitchen counters. Happiness and also Ken's particular backgrounds in real estate and custom homebuilding, and also as financial investment property buyers, have assisted them recognize that concrete kitchen counters can include incredible visual and economic value to a house. Concrete's modification and granite countertops longmont colorado also "show-stopping" appeal is like nothing else kitchen counter surface. Cheng is a supporter of emotional appearances and also constructing houses that catch these emotions, as when it comes to Pleasure and Ken Otterman. Cheng concludes: "People really want differentiation, something personal, something custom-- as well as concrete can do that for them."