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.