When it comes to innovative design ideas for the kitchen, bath and other areas of the home, concrete can be a solid material choice. Tying into the growing desire for design elements that can be customized to the client’s specifications, this material offers many unique properties that give it an upscale appeal. Equally important, concrete is many times easier to use than most design professionals realize.

Concrete countertops share many of the characteristics of other countertop materials such as solid surface. For instance, they are versatile, durable and offer a wide range of colors, textures and finishes. Additionally, they allow for integrally molded sinks, drain boards, backsplashes and seamless installations.

However, using concrete as a design element opens up possibilities far beyond what many other countertop materials allow.

One of the main differentiators of concrete products is their customizability. A skilled concrete countertop maker is a craftsperson in the true sense of the word. He or she can create three-dimensional molds to fit any design the client or kitchen and bath professional can envision, allowing endless possibilities for not only flat slabs but also vertical and sculptural elements.

Concrete offers a broad range of design possibilities because it can be molded and manipulated while it is in a fluid, malleable state, and it can be cut, shaped, honed and polished when it is hard and solid. These qualities make designing with concrete both flexible and highly innovative.

However, misconceptions about concrete abound. Concrete countertops are sometimes viewed as esoteric and finicky, appropriate only for those who want really far-out industrial design.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Concrete countertops can be any style, from French Country to Industrial, Retro to Rustic.

Concrete countertops are often used to beautiful effect in traditional style homes, especially higher-end custom homes.

Typically, concrete countertops in these homes are chosen in warm earth tones reminiscent of natural stone. They provide an alternative to the hard, formal look of granite. And, because concrete can be molded into endless shapes, intricate edge details are possible that would be impractical or impossible in natural stone. 

Concrete countertops can also be a terrific element for tying together a design. Concrete countertops can be color-matched to a paint, fabric or tile sample selected for a completely custom new home. Backsplash tiles can actually be embedded in the countertop to tie the theme together. 

Concrete countertops can easily incorporate the embedding of different materials, shapes or colors. This adds to the material’s custom capabilities, since it allows kitchen and bath design professionals to incorporate meaningful mementos that reflect the clients’ interests or passions. For example, in one design, a couple’s broken wedding china was embedded in the bar top to personalize the space.

Concrete can also be seamlessly cast into a variety of forms and shapes that would be difficult or cost-prohibitive in natural stone. Integral concrete sinks are popular options, but more complex and non-traditional forms are also possible.

Uniqueness and personalization are what clients most desire in concrete countertops. From a simple but meaningful embedment to a spectacular functional sculpture, if the designer or client can dream it, a concrete countertop craftsperson can make it.

Concrete Clientele

What type of client would find concrete countertops a good match for their kitchen, bath or other-room project? People who value high-quality, handmade objects are more likely to perceive the benefits of concrete countertops. Indeed, the “bobo” or bourgeois bohemian – affluent but creative people who value handmade items and natural materials – tends to find concrete an attractive option.

Interestingly, concrete aficionados are drawn to this material not only because of what it can be, but because of what it is not.

On the surface, concrete’s uniqueness, customizability and wide design flexibility attract those who want looks that other materials cannot provide. Concrete’s hand-crafted quality contrasts with mass-produced slabs, and harmonizes well with wood, glass, stone, tile and metal.

But many clients who choose concrete do so for reasons other than its appearance. Concrete appeals to people who want to add “green appeal” to their homes. Most concrete countertops are hand made, using at least some natural and recycled materials. Crushed bottles, automobile glass or even porcelain from unused tubs, sinks and toilets can be used to replace mined aggregate. Portland cement content can be reduced by using more environmentally friendly additives. Concrete countertops are locally made rather than strip mined and shipped overseas.

A growing movement of discontent with the commonplace is also drawing more people to concrete. As granite moves from a premium material to a more commonplace countertop choice, those who would have chosen granite for its natural beauty and uncommon nature are now looking for something new and different.

It’s not uncommon to hear dissatisfaction with granite’s shiny formality or sheer commodity. And, growing concerns with the environmental impact of quarrying and importing natural stone from across the world have environmentally conscious clients looking toward locally made materials such as concrete.

Market acceptance of concrete countertops is at different phases, depending on where you are in the country. In many areas of the country, granite is becoming passé as it becomes more commoditized and less expensive. Fabricators are offering granite at lower and lower prices, and introducing 2 cm thick granite at increasingly mainstream prices. Homeowners are starting to say, “Everybody has granite. I want something different.” This is where concrete can provide an attractive alternative.

However, design professionals need to recognize that concrete should not be sold merely as a granite replacement. The craftspeople who make custom concrete countertops can offer tremendous design flexibility, and this is key to marketing concrete to consumers.

Of course concrete isn’t for everyone. Clients who are extremely picky about every little imperfection may not be the best candidates for concrete, or for natural stone for that matter. An engineered stone countertop might be better for these clients. And, as with any truly custom, hand-made product, concrete’s premium pricing discourages low- to mid-end clients looking for less expensive options.

Concrete, like other materials, has its advantages and disadvantages. No discussion would be complete without a fair discussion of both the positives and negatives. Popular press has often focused on the negatives, but there are many positives that can make concrete the right choice for certain clients.