The Worth of Concrete Countertops: Customization Boosts Aesthetic Appeal and
The Value of Concrete Countertops: Customization Boosts Aesthetic Appeal and Real Estate Investment for Homeowners
From top-dollar homes in the San Francisco Bay Area to stretching mountain homes in the Colorado Rockies, discriminating house owners are demanding custom designs and surfaces in their kitchens. In specific, they are wanting to express their individuality and unique style choices with the fast growing design product of choice concrete.
In fact, concrete counter tops have actually become somewhat of a status sign for cooking areas, measuring up to granite and other high-end countertop surface area options. Customer Reports Magazine (August 2004) ranked concrete highest for its modification and exclusivity amongst high-end kitchen area countertops.
As a custom item, the amount of time and craftsmanship needed to produce concrete countertops places them as the most labor-intensive and most expensive amongst leading counter top materials.
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Increasingly, house owners are moving away from the dull, manufactured look of conventional countertop surfaces and picking concrete for its earthy, ageless appeal. Plus, the choices for customizing concrete counter tops are unlimited: one can color, polish, stamp and stain concrete or imbed personal items like stones, seashells and fossils into the counter tops surface, including belief and character. Practical features such as drain boards, soap meals, and trivets can also be incorporated to match the house owners own requirements and lifestyle.
Concrete is slowly becoming debunked as characteristically cold and industrial. In contrary, this age-old material is warm and remarkably tactile; individuals can not assist however touch their smooth, polished surface areas. Real estate representative Delight Rasmussen, who has recently sold her mountain home a short-term financial investment home 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-made build by her husband, Ken Otterman, along with KJ Otterman, president of Classic Unique Customized 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 differing colors like charcoal, rust and gold tones that forms the backsplashes in the kitchen area and baths. As a design accent, small rectangular slate tiles were contributed to the rim of the bathroom sinks, which provided an unique information to the custom-made vanities.
When Joy and Ken decided to sell their home, their financial investment in concrete counter tops showed its value. We were able to list your home $20,000 over market value, and had no problems selling it, comments Happiness, while talking about the long list of upgrades throughout their home, including knotty pine strong doors, natural slate wall accents and wood floors. The concrete counter tops were easily the most distinct and impressive of all the surfaces. 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 truly believe property buyers are getting rather numb with granite.
Concrete countertops are a distinct offering to property buyers who see the exact same surfaces utilized in home after house they check out, explains Pleasure, providing her observation as a seasoned realtor. Having concrete counter tops nearly provides you boasting rights you have something different from your neighbors.
BREAKING THE MOLD
Another benefit of concrete is its flexibility in either contemporary or conventional settings, particularly when coupled with other products like different metals, wood or stone. Concrete adds so many [possibilities] to stone, and the combination with slate, which is hugely popular here, gives the mountain homes a total warm, natural touch, states Happiness.
Joy and Ken have actually considering that developed a much larger home (4,000 sq. ft.) that uses extensive views of the Steamboat Ski Resort and is meant to work as a long-term financial investment for the couple. Theyve also expanded their list of customized finishes, consisting of hand-troweled walls, classy 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 specialized team poured charcoal-colored counter tops using the pre-cast technique in the unfinished basement of the brand-new home. Before pouring the concrete, they sprayed a range 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 excellent mix of colors, By far, the Mother-of-Pearl was the most incredible, says Delight.
The L-shaped concrete counter top has a rough, rustic stone look, matching its rugged country environments. An integral drain board and trivets supplies function and added interest to the concrete counter top. Natural slate backsplashes, unique wall accents, and a butcher block countertop at the cooking area island all resonate with the standard heat and earthiness of the concrete counter tops.
Joy and Kens respective backgrounds in real estate and custom homebuilding, and as financial investment property buyers, have actually Additional reading helped them recognize that concrete counter tops can add significant aesthetic and financial worth to a home. Concretes personalization and show-stopping appeal is like no other countertop surface. Cheng is a proponent of psychological aesthetic appeals and developing homes that record these emotions, as when it comes to Delight and Ken Otterman. Cheng concludes: Individuals truly desire distinction, something individual, something custom and concrete can do that for them.