The value of concrete counter tops personalization increases visual appeal and 56381
The Worth of Concrete Countertops: Modification Boosts Aesthetic Appeal and
The Value of Concrete Countertops: Customization Boosts Visual Appeal and Real Estate Financial investment for Homeowners
From top-dollar homes in the San Francisco Bay Location to stretching mountain homes in the Colorado Rockies, discriminating homeowners are requiring custom-made designs and surfaces in their kitchen areas. In specific, they are seeking to reveal their uniqueness and distinct style preferences with the fast growing design product of choice concrete.
In truth, concrete countertops have actually become rather reliable plumbing services of a status sign for kitchens, measuring up to granite and other high-end countertop surface area choices. Consumer Reports Publication (August 2004) ranked concrete highest for its personalization and exclusivity among high-end cooking area countertops.
As a custom item, the amount of time and craftsmanship required to produce concrete countertops places them as the most labor-intensive and most expensive amongst leading countertop products.
However, concrete counter tops are becoming more available for those on a modest budget. The current do-it-yourself (DIY) pattern to captivate homeowners and home builders is building your own concrete countertop. This phenomenon has gained popularity mainly due to Chengs very popular book Concrete Countertops: Style, Forms, and Completes for the New Kitchen and Bath (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little financial financial investment in making concrete countertops, yet the innovative gains of dealing with concrete are plentiful.
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Increasingly, homeowners are moving away from the tedious, manufactured look of standard counter top surface areas and picking concrete for its earthy, ageless appeal. Plus, the options for personalizing concrete countertops are unlimited: one can color, polish, stamp and stain concrete or imbed individual objects like stones, seashells and fossils into the countertops surface, including sentiment and character. Functional functions such as drain boards, soap meals, and trivets can likewise be integrated to fit the house owners own requirements and lifestyle.
Concrete is slowly becoming demystified as typically cold and industrial. In contrary, this age-old product is warm and surprisingly tactile; individuals can not assist but touch their smooth, polished surface areas. Realty agent Joy Rasmussen, who has recently sold her mountain home a short-term investment property in Steamboat Springs, CO states her visitors experiences with concrete: When I had open houses, visitors gravitated to the concrete countertops many people around here have actually never seen them.
Joys 2,265 sq. ft. mountain home was custom develop by her spouse, Ken Otterman, in addition to KJ Otterman, president of Classic Unique Custom Houses. They built pour-in-place concrete counters for the homes cooking area and 3 bathrooms by using 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 and baths. As a design accent, small rectangular slate tiles were added to the rim of the restroom sinks, which offered an unique detail to the custom vanities.
When Delight and Ken decided to sell their home, their financial investment in concrete counter tops proved its worth. We were able to note your house $20,000 over market value, and had no issues selling it, comments Joy, while discussing the long list of upgrades throughout their home, including knotty pine strong doors, natural slate wall accents and wood floorings. The concrete countertops were easily the most distinct and outstanding of all the surfaces. I believe 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 rather numb with granite.
Concrete counter tops are a special offering to property buyers who see the exact same surfaces used in house after home they check out, discusses Joy, offering her observation as a seasoned realtor. Having concrete countertops nearly gives you boasting rights you have something various from your next-door neighbors.
BREAKING THE MOLD
Another advantage of concrete is its flexibility in either modern-day or traditional settings, particularly when combined with other materials like different metals, wood or stone. Concrete adds numerous [possibilities] to stone, and the combination with slate, which is extremely popular here, provides the mountain homes a total warm, natural touch, says Pleasure.
Joy and Ken have actually given that built a much larger home (4,000 sq. ft.) that provides expansive views of the Steamboat Ski Resort and is implied to work as a long-lasting investment for the couple. Theyve likewise broadened their list of custom 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 favorite concrete kitchen counter tops.
Unlike in their previous home, KJ and his specialized team put charcoal-colored countertops utilizing the pre-cast method in the unfinished basement of the new home. Before putting the concrete, they sprayed a selection of semi-precious stones in the mold including Leopardskin, Moonstone, Mother-of-Pearl and Turquoise. After the surface area was ground and lightly polished, the completed result was an outstanding mix of colors, Without a doubt, the Mother-of-Pearl was the most amazing, says Pleasure.
The L-shaped concrete counter top has a rough, rustic stone appearance, matching its rugged country environments. An integral drain board and trivets offers function and added interest to the concrete counter top. Natural slate backsplashes, unique 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 respective backgrounds in realty and customized homebuilding, and as investment property buyers, have actually helped local plumbing company them realize that concrete countertops can add incredible aesthetic and monetary value to a home. Concretes personalization and show-stopping appeal is like no other counter top surface. Cheng is an advocate of emotional aesthetic appeals and building homes that catch these emotions, as when it comes to Happiness and Ken Otterman. Cheng concludes: People actually want distinction, something individual, something custom and concrete can do that for them.
