The value of concrete counter tops modification increases aesthetic appeal and
The Worth of Concrete Countertops: Personalization Increases Visual Appeal and
The Value of Concrete Countertops: Modification Boosts Aesthetic Appeal and Real Estate Investment for Homeowners
From top-dollar homes in the San Francisco Bay Area to sprawling mountain homes in the Colorado Rockies, discriminating house owners are requiring custom-made styles and finishes in their kitchens. In specific, they are wanting to express their individuality and distinct design preferences with the fast growing design product of option concrete.
In reality, concrete countertops have actually ended up being rather of a status symbol for kitchen areas, matching granite and other high-end countertop surface choices. Consumer Reports Publication (August 2004) ranked concrete greatest for its customization and exclusivity amongst high-end kitchen countertops.
As a customized product, the amount of time and workmanship needed to produce concrete countertops places them as the most labor-intensive and most expensive among leading countertop materials.
However, concrete counter tops are ending up being more available for those on a modest budget plan. The current do-it-yourself (DO IT YOURSELF) pattern to captivate homeowners and builders is constructing your own concrete countertop. This phenomenon has actually gotten appeal largely due to Chengs best-selling book Concrete Countertops: Design, Types, and Completes for the New Kitchen and Bath (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little financial financial investment in making concrete counter tops, yet the imaginative gains of working with concrete abound.
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Increasingly, homeowners are moving far from the monotonous, manufactured look of standard countertop surface areas and selecting concrete for its earthy, ageless appeal. Plus, the choices for customizing concrete countertops are endless: one can color, polish, stamp and stain concrete or imbed individual objects like stones, seashells and fossils into the countertops surface area, adding sentiment and character. Functional functions such as drain boards, soap meals, and trivets can likewise be integrated to fit the house owners own needs and lifestyle.
Concrete is slowly becoming debunked as characteristically cold and industrial. In contrary, this age-old product is warm and surprisingly tactile; individuals can not assist but touch their smooth, refined surface areas. Realty agent Delight Rasmussen, who has just recently sold her mountain home a short-term investment home in Steamboat Springs, CO states her visitors experiences with concrete: When I had open homes, 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, together with KJ Otterman, president of Classic Special Custom Houses. They constructed pour-in-place concrete counters for the homes kitchen area and 3 bathrooms by using Concrete Countertops as their guide. The sand-colored concrete counter tops were polished smooth, then coupled with natural slate of differing colors like charcoal, rust and gold tones that forms the backsplashes in the Somerville plumbing repairs kitchen area and baths. As a design accent, small rectangular slate tiles were contributed to the rim of the bathroom sinks, which supplied an unique detail to the customized vanities.
When Pleasure and Ken chose to sell their house, their investment in concrete countertops proved its value. We had the ability to list your house $20,000 over market price, and had no issues selling it, remarks Joy, while going over 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 special and impressive 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 really think homebuyers are getting quite numb with granite.
Concrete countertops are an unique offering to homebuyers who see the exact same surfaces utilized in home after home they visit, describes Pleasure, using her observation as a skilled realtor. Having concrete countertops nearly gives you boasting rights you have something various from your next-door neighbors.
BREAKING THE MOLD
Another benefit of concrete is its adaptability in either modern or standard settings, especially when coupled with other products like diverse metals, wood or stone. Concrete includes numerous [possibilities] to stone, and the combination with slate, which is extremely popular here, affordable plumber solutions provides the mountain homes a general warm, natural touch, states Happiness.
Joy and Ken have given that developed a much larger home (4,000 sq. ft.) that provides extensive views of the Steamboat Ski Resort and is meant to serve as a long-term financial investment for the couple. Theyve likewise expanded their list of custom-made surfaces, including 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 cooking area counter tops.
Unlike in their previous home, KJ and his specialty team poured charcoal-colored countertops using the pre-cast technique in the unfinished basement of the new home. Before putting the concrete, they sprayed a variety of semi-precious stones in the mold consisting of Leopardskin, Moonstone, Mother-of-Pearl and Turquoise. After the surface was ground and lightly polished, the finished outcome was an excellent mix of colors, By far, the Mother-of-Pearl was the most extraordinary, says Joy.
The L-shaped concrete counter top has a rough, rustic stone appearance, matching its rugged nation surroundings. An integral drain board and trivets supplies function and included interest to the concrete countertop. Natural slate backsplashes, distinct wall accents, and a butcher block countertop at the kitchen area island all resonate with the standard warmth and earthiness of the concrete counter tops.
Joy and Kens particular backgrounds in real estate and customized homebuilding, and as investment property buyers, have helped them realize that concrete counter tops can include significant aesthetic and financial value to a home. Concretes modification and show-stopping appeal is like no other counter top surface. Cheng is a supporter of emotional aesthetic appeals and building homes that catch these feelings, as in the case of Delight and Ken Otterman. Cheng concludes: People actually want distinction, something individual, something customized and concrete can do that for them.
