When you're considering a change for your kitchen or bathroom, you may want to consider thinking outside the box with concrete. As concrete moves from the driveway to inside your home, it is being used for everything from countertops to kitchen sinks to bathtub surrounds.

One of the top appeals of concrete is its versatility. Decorative concrete contractors say it can be molded into any shape, integrally colored or stained to match nearly any hue, and exhibits textures ranging from rough to highly polished. It also adapts to a wide range of decorating styles, from contemporary to classic.

Concrete countertops are gaining in popularity, rivaling granite and other surfaces. But concrete is being used for other architectural amenities as well, primarily for achieving a look that is one-of-a-kind - something today's remodeling homeowner strives for.

Color options abound, as concrete can be treated with chemical stains, coloring pigments, aggregates, and epoxy coatings that allow it to mimic popular materials like marble, granite, and limestone. Because there are different brands of pigments, stains, and aggregate colors, each concrete piece will always be unique.

"The beauty of working with concrete is that it allows you to be artistic in design," said Janey John, a Sacramento, California interior designer. "You ¾ and the client ¾ are able to collaborate, and the end result is a unique, durable, functional piece that will be around for a lifetime."

As for maintenance, concrete pieces require special care and attention. Concrete can develop hairline cracks, but these cracks tend to be non-structural, resulting from the natural shrinkage of the concrete.

Although your contractor will review care and maintenance issues with you, common tips include always trying to avoid abrasive soaps or cleansers. Instead, use a mild, non-abrasive, non-ammoniated soap for cleaning, and avoid using abrasive pads.

If your concrete piece is a working surface, such as a countertop or sink, also take care not to cut or place hot objects directly on the surface.

And when it comes to cost, a standard one-and-a-half-inch-thick concrete countertop ranges from $65 to $125 per square foot. Designs features like irregular or curbed shapes, two-inch-thick concrete, integral drain boards, custom edges, and back splashes all add to the cost. Installation typically ranges from $40-$50 per hour.

Marco Lucioni, a European artist before he made his way to the states and focused on his Seattle-based decorative concrete company, Lucioni Arts, said he'll look at a fireplace and then proceed to make a form and design for a surround. He has created fireplaces that run the gamut from classic, ornate styles to contemporary. He's even produced a fireplace from a magazine photograph.

"They like the look - the down-to-earth, rustic look," Lucioni said. "It's a different feeling. It doesn't look cold; it's a warmer material."

Some companies, like Sonoma Cast Stone in California's wine country, specialize in kitchen and utility sinks.

There is the vessel sink, similar to an old English washbasin; the wave sink, featuring a concrete-formed wave between two or more faucets and designed to lead all the water back to a pair of slot drains; the ramp countersink, where the sink's basin is shaped like a ramp allowing water to flow down the ramp and disappear down the drain.

The company can also make you a trough sink, a one-piece countersink that can accommodate two to four faucets and is made to fit on a conventional cabinet or a farm sink, which is big and offers a workable, deep, large sink.

And concrete artisans are taking concrete into the bathroom with vanities, tub and shower surrounds, integral sinks, and counters.

One of the benefits of using concrete for bathroom pieces is the versatility and the seamless surfaces, says Mat Rogers, of Flying Turtle Concrete in Modesto, Calif. Rogers has created a giant cast corner piece that appears to be a huge block, but it's really a corner made to look like a block.

"Concrete is universal and has general appeal," Rogers said. "It has so many uses in the home. It's going to find its way in construction. People are beginning to find out how beautiful this material is. Often they're astonished that it's concrete."

Published: April 14, 2003

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