Flashback Friday: Concrete kitchen countertops
We get by with [a lot] of help from our friends and family. This time it was Erik's dad assisting with our concrete countertops - thanks Jim!
All the materials for our counters are from Z Counterform Concrete Countertop Solutions. You can find great tutorial videos online, which Erik studied several times before starting the process. First, we covered the cabinets with plastic sheeting. Then cement board was cut and attached to the cabinets along with supports under the island overhang. My job was to snap the support clips to the width of our counters. These held the wire mesh in place while the concrete solidified.
Next, the square edge profile counter forms were installed around the cement boards and a flexible form was installed around the sink before the white concrete was mixed and poured.
Erik very carefully and meticulously leveled the surface until it was completely smooth. We then let the concrete set and dry for 48 hours before removing the forms. There was something incredibly satisfying about snapping off that plastic to reveal the glass-smooth edges.
Some final sanding with these nifty diamond sanding pads and...Voila! new concrete countertops!
If you haven't figured it out yet, we really like using the color white. It's just so fresh and clean, and leaves you with a beautiful blank slate for styling with non-permanent features that can then be restyled later on. With that said, it was a little nerve racking considering light colored counters. WE loved pictures we were finding online, but was it really practical or were we going to regret them with the first spaghetti sauce stain? Our fears were relieved and our decision was final when we saw the white countertops in the Marcum's kitchen renovation on Chris Loves Julia (one of our favorite home renovation inspirations).
A common reaction we now get from our kitchen when friends and family visit is, "Was that window always there?" The openness of the new layout accentuated by the white cabinets and countertops provides a light to the space that even we didn't expect, but are very happy with!
