The worth of concrete countertops personalization increases visual appeal and

The Value of Concrete Countertops: Modification Increases Visual Appeal and

The Value of Concrete Countertops: Modification Increases Aesthetic Appeal and Real Estate Investment for Homeowners

From top-dollar homes in the San Francisco Bay Location to sprawling mountain homes in the Colorado Rockies, discriminating house owners are requiring custom styles and finishes in their kitchen areas. In specific, they are aiming to express their uniqueness and unique design preferences with the fast growing design product of option concrete.

In truth, concrete counter tops have actually ended up being somewhat of a status sign for kitchen areas, rivaling granite and other high-end countertop surface area options. Customer Reports Magazine (August 2004) ranked concrete greatest for its personalization and exclusivity among high-end kitchen area countertops.

As a custom-made item, the amount of time and workmanship needed to produce concrete countertops puts them as the most labor-intensive and priciest among leading counter top materials.

However, concrete counter tops are ending up being more accessible for those on a modest spending plan. The latest diy (DO IT YOURSELF) trend to captivate house owners and contractors is developing your own concrete counter top. This phenomenon has gotten appeal mostly due to Chengs very popular book Concrete Countertops: Design, Kinds, and Completes for the New Kitchen and Bath (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little monetary investment in making concrete countertops, yet the creative gains of working with concrete abound.

THE SHOWSTOPPER

Increasingly, homeowners are moving far from the dull, manufactured look of conventional counter top surface areas and selecting concrete for its earthy, classic appeal. Plus, the choices for personalizing concrete counter tops are unlimited: one can color, polish, stamp and stain concrete or imbed personal things like stones, seashells and fossils into the counter tops surface, adding sentiment and character. Functional features such as drain boards, soap dishes, and trivets can likewise be integrated to match the property owners own needs and lifestyle.

Concrete is slowly ending up being debunked as characteristically cold and commercial. In contrary, this olden product is warm and remarkably tactile; people can not assist but touch their smooth, sleek surface areas. Realty representative Joy Rasmussen, who has just recently offered her mountain home a short-term financial investment residential or commercial property in Steamboat Springs, CO recounts her visitors experiences with concrete: When I had open homes, visitors gravitated to the concrete counter tops many people around here have never ever seen them.

Joys 2,265 sq. ft. mountain home was custom build by her other half, Ken Otterman, together with KJ Otterman, president of Classic Unique Custom Homes. They developed pour-in-place concrete counters for the homes kitchen area and 3 bathrooms by using 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 cooking area and baths. As a design accent, small rectangular slate tiles were added to the rim of the bathroom sinks, which supplied a distinct information to the custom-made vanities.

When Delight and Ken decided to offer their house, their financial investment in concrete countertops proved its value. We had the ability to note your house $20,000 over market value, and had no issues selling it, comments Happiness, while talking about the long list of upgrades throughout their home, consisting of knotty pine strong doors, natural slate wall accents and wood floorings. The concrete counter tops were easily the most unique and impressive of all the surfaces. I believe they were a big part in adding value to the home. Around here, all you see in homes are granite counter tops and I actually think homebuyers are getting rather numb with granite.

Concrete countertops are an unique offering to property buyers who see the same surfaces used in house after house they visit, discusses Happiness, offering her observation as a seasoned real estate agent. Having concrete countertops practically offers you boasting rights you have quality best plumbing company something various from your next-door neighbors.

BREAKING THE MOLD

Another advantage of concrete is its adaptability in either modern-day or conventional settings, specifically when combined with other materials like diverse metals, wood or stone. Concrete adds a lot of [possibilities] to stone, and the mix with slate, which is extremely popular here, provides the mountain homes a total warm, natural top plumbers in my area touch, says Joy.

Joy and Ken have since developed a much larger home (4,000 sq. ft.) that provides extensive views of the Steamboat Ski Resort and is indicated to act as a long-term financial investment for the couple. Theyve likewise broadened their list of customized finishes, consisting of hand-troweled walls, stylish oil-rubbed bronze hardware, knotty pine doors that arch at the top, cabinets in a natural, knotty alder, and their preferred concrete kitchen countertops.

Unlike in their previous home, KJ and his specialty crew put charcoal-colored counter tops utilizing the pre-cast technique in the incomplete basement of the new home. Before pouring the concrete, they sprinkled a variety of semi-precious stones in the mold consisting of Leopardskin, Moonstone, Mother-of-Pearl and Turquoise. After the surface area was ground and lightly polished, the finished outcome was an excellent blend of colors, By far, the Mother-of-Pearl was the most unbelievable, says Happiness.

The L-shaped concrete counter top has a rough, rustic stone look, complementing its rugged nation environments. An integral drain board and trivets offers function and added interest to the concrete countertop. Natural slate backsplashes, distinct wall accents, and a butcher block countertop at the kitchen island all resonate with the standard warmth and earthiness of the concrete countertops.

Joy and Kens respective backgrounds in property and customized homebuilding, and as financial investment homebuyers, have assisted them understand that concrete counter tops can include tremendous aesthetic and monetary value to a home. Concretes customization and show-stopping appeal is like no other countertop surface. Cheng is a supporter of emotional aesthetics and constructing homes that capture these emotions, as when it comes to Joy and Ken Otterman. Cheng concludes: Individuals truly desire differentiation, something personal, something customized and concrete can do that for them.