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Mr. And Mrs. Do-it-yourselfers
By Fu-Tung Cheng, Fri Dec 9th
Mr. and Mrs. Do-It-Yourselfers Through the Thick and Thin ofBuilding a Concrete Countertop SAN FRANCISCO, CA, August 2005 -- Concrete countertops,recognized first by architects and designers for their aestheticpotential and project versatility, are fast-becoming the answerto homeowners' demands for a relatively inexpensive countertopalternative that doesn't require a high-level of expertise toinstall. In addition, they offer homeowners an excitingopportunity to literally try their hand at being creative.Step-by-step books, videos and hands-on training are now readilyavailable for homeowners to confidently engage in suchdo-it-yourself (DIY) projects as building concrete countertops. Married couple Chris and Ali Collins were excited to take on aDIY project after purchasing their San Francisco flat. Alogistical real estate developer/construction manager and aneducational specialist, Chris and Ali are also architecture andhome design enthusiasts. With a penchant for getting their handsdirty, building and installing their own concrete countertopseemed a natural choice for them.
The couple's instructional guide and source for designinspiration was award-winning designer Fu-Tung Cheng's ConcreteCountertops: Design, Forms, and Finishes for the New Kitchen andBath (Taunton, 2002), a national bestseller in the remodelingand design genre). Since its release in 2002, Concrete Countertops has been the go-to guide for designing and building concrete countertops. Thebook takes both professionals and do-it-yourselfers through thestep-by-step process of design considerations, planning,building a concrete countertop mold, mixing and pouring theconcrete, curing, grinding, polishing, and finally installingthe concrete countertop. "We found the book to be very helpful," says Chris. It reallywas a key element to what we feel was a big success. It was achallenging and rewarding experience. We also loved the ease ofusing Cheng's mix products." Chris happens to be no stranger to concrete: "My interest goesback several years when I was building restaurants and retailspaces. I installed concrete countertops and worked withconcrete artisans doing integral color and stained concretefloors." In April of 2003, Chris and Ali purchased a two-flatbuilding in space-challenged San Francisco. Recently, they soldthe lower flat as a tenant-in-common unit and now occupy theupper flat, which offers roughly 950 sq. ft. of living space.Before they considered building their own kitchen concretecountertop, Chris and Ali hired a contractor for an extensiveremodel of the home. Combining existing traditional designelements with a modern aesthetic, several interior walls wereeliminated to open up the old "shotgun" style layout. The resultis an open, loft-like living space where the kitchen and livingzones flow together. Architectural details that were preservedinclude the original red oak floors, 10-feet high coved ceilingsand original doors and trim. "We both enjoy the process of designing and creating our ownliving space to fit how we live. This applies to the space weoccupy as well as the details within it," says Ali. "We bothlike the idea of working with our hands, using materials thatare natural, accessible, beautiful, and flexible." Chris added,"Concrete counters are beautiful, cool, earthy, solid, and youjust want to touch them. The counters were a perfect way for usto create something beautiful out of our own ideas and hardwork, and the uniqueness
of the end product is a representationof our unique ideas." Their kitchen, 10 feet wide by 15 feetlong (150 sq. ft.), didn't offer much room for Chris and Ali towork -- but that didn't stop the big plans they had for theirnarrow kitchen. They wanted to have a logical cooking zone witha work triangle, plenty of counter space and still have enoughroom to accommodate a dining area. Like most urban San Francisco properties, space is almost alwaysan issue. To remedy this, a straight run of upper and lowercabinets and a concrete countertop with a dishwasher, sink, ovenand stove is located along one wall of the kitchen. A built-inbanquette and dining table is located opposite the concretecountertop work area. An adjacent wall hosts a refrigerator andtall cabinets. Chris and Ali agree that the most interesting addition to thekitchen is the concrete countertop. Having used all Cheng NeoMixproducts, the finished product is a visually stunning worksurface with rich, complex colors: NeoMix Pro-Formula'sreddish-brown color, Brick, and flecks of semi-preciousLeopardskin (yellow and black) aggregates. "This particularcolor combination blended perfectly with the color theme we hadfor the cabinetry, tile backsplash, floor and wall finishes,"says Ali. Understated design details of the 12-foot long, 3-inchthick concrete countertop include rounded edges at thecountertop front and the sink openings as well as a decorativemetal strip under the front edge of the countertop to concealthe plywood sub-top. Chris and Ali took special note that despite the tight workingspace of their basement, their collaborative work ran smoothlyfrom pour to finish. "Like the rest of our remodel project,building the concrete countertop brought us closer together,"says Chris. "We work very well together. It starts from the factthat we communicate very well and our design ideas complementeach other." With the completion of the project and the creative work done,Chris and Ali admit that their biggest challenge was buildingthe concrete forms. "Particularly for the sink cut-out, whichhas radius corners and two different size basins," says Chris. Though Concrete Countertops afforded them a solid guidethroughout the project, there were a few questions they had thatwent beyond the book, they received assistance and guidance fromCheng Concrete Exchange, the designer and author's onlineresource for frequently asked concrete countertop questions,image galleries from other DIY projects, and complete line ofmixes and finishing products to make a countertop. Despite a couple of minor learning curves, Chris maintains thatthere is an overwhelming sense of accomplishment upon completingtheir concrete countertop. "The best part is seeing and feelingthe finished product and knowing we did it!" It's been said thatif a couple can survive a home remodel -- especially -- a DIYproject together--they can survive anything. From the looks of a job well done on their first concretecountertop, these happy do-it-yourselfers are in it for the longhaul. Chris says of future projects, "We plan to create aconcrete fireplace surround and perhaps a hearth to go with it!" For more information about concrete countertops, please visit:http://www.concreteexchange.com/ About the author:Fu-Tung Cheng is both founder of Cheng Design and author of twobooks: the recent Concrete at Home: Innovative Forms andFinishes for Floors, Countertops, Walls and Fireplaces and hisfirst bestseller Concrete Countertops: Design, Forms andFinishes for the New Kitchen & Bath (both published by TauntonPress).
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