The Value of Concrete Countertops: Personalization Increases Aesthetic Appeal and
The Value of Concrete Countertops: Customization Increases Aesthetic Appeal and Property Investment for Homeowners
From top-dollar homes in the San Francisco Bay Location to sprawling mountain homes in the Colorado Rockies, discriminating property owners are demanding customized styles and surfaces in their cooking areas. In specific, they are aiming to reveal their uniqueness and distinct design choices with the fast growing design material of choice concrete.
In truth, concrete countertops have actually ended up being somewhat of a status sign for cooking areas, matching granite and other high-end countertop surface alternatives. Customer Reports Magazine (August 2004) ranked concrete highest for its customization and exclusivity amongst high-end cooking area countertops.
As a custom item, the amount of time and workmanship needed to produce concrete counter tops positions them as the most labor-intensive and most expensive amongst leading counter top materials.
However, concrete counter tops are becoming more accessible for those on a modest budget plan. The most recent do-it-yourself (DIY) trend to captivate house owners and contractors is developing your own concrete countertop. This phenomenon has actually gained popularity mainly due to Chengs best-selling book Concrete Countertops: Design, Forms, and Finishes for the New Cooking Area and Bath (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little monetary investment in making concrete counter tops, yet the innovative gains of dealing with concrete are plentiful.
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Increasingly, homeowners are moving far from the boring, manufactured look of conventional counter top surface areas and choosing concrete for its earthy, timeless appeal. Plus, the alternatives for individualizing concrete countertops are unlimited: one can color, polish, stamp and stain concrete or imbed personal items like stones, seashells and fossils into the counter tops surface area, including belief and character. Functional features such as drain boards, soap meals, and trivets can likewise be integrated to match the property owners own needs and lifestyle.
Concrete is slowly ending up being debunked as typically cold and industrial. In contrary, this age-old material is warm and remarkably tactile; people can not help however touch their smooth, polished surface areas. Realty agent Happiness Rasmussen, who has actually recently offered her mountain home a short-term financial investment plumber Melbourne residential or commercial property in Steamboat Springs, CO states her visitors experiences with concrete: When I had open houses, visitors gravitated to the concrete counter tops many people around here have never seen them.
Joys 2,265 sq. ft. mountain home was customized construct by her spouse, Ken Otterman, in addition to KJ Otterman, president of Classic Unique fixitrightplumbing.com.au plumber Custom Residences. They developed pour-in-place concrete counters for the homes kitchen area and 3 restrooms by utilizing Concrete Countertops as their guide. The sand-colored concrete countertops were polished smooth, then coupled with natural slate of varying colors like charcoal, rust and gold tones that forms the backsplashes in the kitchen area and baths. As a style accent, little rectangular slate tiles were contributed to the rim of the restroom sinks, which offered an unique information to the customized vanities.
When Happiness and Ken decided to offer their home, their investment in concrete counter tops proved its worth. We were able to list your house $20,000 over market value, and had no problems selling it, comments Joy, while going over the long list of upgrades throughout their home, consisting of knotty pine solid doors, natural slate wall accents and wood floorings. The concrete counter tops were quickly the most special and excellent of all the surfaces. I believe they were a substantial part in adding worth to the home. Around here, all you see in homes are granite counter tops and I really believe homebuyers are getting rather numb with granite.
Concrete countertops are an unique offering to property buyers who see the very same surfaces utilized in home after house they check out, describes Pleasure, providing her observation as a skilled real estate agent. Having concrete countertops nearly offers you boasting rights you have something various from your next-door neighbors.
BREAKING THE MOLD
Another benefit of concrete is its flexibility in either contemporary or conventional settings, especially when paired with other materials like varied metals, wood or stone. Concrete includes so many [possibilities] to stone, and the mix with slate, which is extremely popular here, gives the mountain homes a general warm, natural touch, states Happiness.
Joy and Ken have because developed a much bigger home (4,000 sq. ft.) that uses extensive views of the Steamboat Ski Resort and is indicated to work as a long-lasting financial investment for the couple. Theyve also expanded their list of custom-made surfaces, consisting of hand-troweled walls, elegant oil-rubbed bronze hardware, knotty pine doors that arch at the top, cabinets in a natural, knotty alder, and their favorite concrete kitchen area countertops.
Unlike in their previous home, KJ and his specialty crew poured charcoal-colored countertops utilizing the pre-cast approach in the unfinished basement of the brand-new home. Before putting the concrete, they sprinkled a selection of semi-precious stones in the mold consisting of Leopardskin, Moonstone, Mother-of-Pearl and Blue-green. After the surface area was ground and lightly polished, the completed result was an excellent mix of colors, By far, the Mother-of-Pearl was the most extraordinary, states Pleasure.
The L-shaped concrete counter top has a rough, rustic stone look, complementing its rugged nation surroundings. An integral drain board and trivets provides function and added interest to the concrete counter top. Natural slate backsplashes, distinct wall accents, and a butcher block countertop at the kitchen island all resonate with the standard heat and earthiness of the concrete countertops.
