The Worth of Concrete Countertops: Customization Boosts Visual Appeal and
The Value of Concrete Countertops: Customization Boosts Aesthetic Appeal and Property Investment for Homeowners
From top-dollar homes in the San Francisco Bay Area to sprawling mountain homes in the Colorado Rockies, discriminating property owners are demanding customized designs and finishes in their kitchen areas. In specific, they are wanting to express their uniqueness and distinct style preferences with the quick growing design product of option concrete.
In truth, concrete countertops have ended up being somewhat of a status symbol for kitchen areas, measuring up to granite and other high-end countertop surface area alternatives. Customer Reports Magazine (August 2004) ranked concrete greatest for its modification and exclusivity among high-end cooking area countertops.
As a custom item, the quantity of time and craftsmanship needed to produce concrete countertops places them as the most labor-intensive and priciest qualified plumber nearby among leading counter top materials.
However, concrete counter tops are ending up being more accessible for those on a modest spending plan. The current diy (DO IT YOURSELF) pattern to captivate property owners and builders is building your own concrete counter top. This phenomenon has gotten appeal mostly due to Chengs best-selling book Concrete Countertops: Style, Forms, and Finishes for the New Kitchen and Bath (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little monetary financial investment in making concrete countertops, yet the innovative gains of dealing with concrete abound.
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Increasingly, property owners are moving far from the dull, manufactured appearance of standard countertop surfaces and selecting concrete for its earthy, ageless appeal. Plus, the options for individualizing concrete countertops are endless: one can color, polish, stamp and stain concrete or imbed personal items like stones, seashells and fossils into the counter tops surface, including sentiment and character. Practical functions such as drain boards, soap meals, and trivets can likewise be incorporated to suit the homeowners own requirements and lifestyle.
Concrete is slowly becoming demystified as typically cold and industrial. In contrary, this age-old product is warm and remarkably tactile; people can not help however touch their smooth, polished surfaces. Property representative Joy Rasmussen, who has actually just recently sold her mountain home a short-term investment property in Steamboat Springs, CO recounts her visitors experiences with concrete: When I had open houses, visitors gravitated to the concrete counter tops many individuals around here have never seen them.
Joys 2,265 sq. ft. mountain home was custom-made build by her spouse, Ken Otterman, in addition to KJ Otterman, president of Classic Unique Custom-made Residences. They constructed pour-in-place concrete counters for the homes kitchen area and 3 bathrooms by utilizing Concrete Countertops as their guide. The sand-colored concrete countertops were polished smooth, then paired with natural slate of varying colors like charcoal, rust and gold tones that forms the backsplashes in the kitchen area and baths. As a design accent, little rectangle-shaped slate tiles were added to the rim of the restroom sinks, which provided a distinct information to the custom-made vanities.
When Happiness and Ken decided to sell their house, their investment in concrete counter tops proved its value. We were able to note your house $20,000 over market value, and had no issues selling it, remarks Happiness, while going over the long list of upgrades throughout their home, including knotty pine strong doors, natural slate wall accents and wood floors. The concrete countertops were quickly the most special and remarkable of all the finishes. I think they were a substantial part in including value to the home. Around here, all you see in homes are granite counter tops and I actually believe homebuyers are getting quite numb with granite.
Concrete countertops are an unique offering to homebuyers who see the exact same finishes used in home after house they visit, discusses Happiness, offering her observation as a seasoned real estate agent. Having concrete counter tops almost provides you bragging rights you have something various from your neighbors.
BREAKING THE MOLD
Another benefit of concrete is its adaptability in either modern or traditional settings, especially when paired with other products like varied metals, wood or stone. Concrete adds numerous [possibilities] to stone, and the combination with slate, which is extremely popular here, provides the mountain homes an overall warm, natural touch, says Delight.
Joy and Ken have actually since constructed a much larger home (4,000 sq. ft.) that uses extensive views of the Steamboat Ski Resort and is implied to serve as a long-term investment for the couple. Theyve also broadened their list of customized surfaces, including hand-troweled walls, stylish 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 specialized team put charcoal-colored countertops utilizing the pre-cast approach in the unfinished basement of the brand-new home. Before putting the concrete, they sprinkled a variety of semi-precious stones in the mold including Leopardskin, Moonstone, Mother-of-Pearl and Turquoise. After the surface was ground and lightly polished, the completed outcome was an outstanding mix of colors, Without a doubt, the Mother-of-Pearl was the most amazing, states Joy.
The L-shaped concrete countertop has a rough, rustic stone appearance, matching its rugged nation environments. An integral drain board and trivets provides function and included interest to the concrete countertop. Natural slate backsplashes, distinct wall accents, and a butcher block countertop at the cooking area island all resonate with the conventional warmth and earthiness of the concrete countertops.
Joy and Kens respective backgrounds in real estate and customized homebuilding, and as investment homebuyers, have assisted them realize that concrete countertops can add significant visual and financial worth to a home. Concretes modification and show-stopping appeal resembles no other countertop surface. Cheng is a proponent of psychological looks and developing homes that capture these feelings, as when it comes to Joy and Ken Otterman. Cheng concludes: Individuals actually want differentiation, something personal, something customized and concrete can do that for them.
