When it comes to kitchens, semi-retired developer Peter Gibson has seen it all: stone, wood, tile, laminate, glass and stainless steel.
Gibson and his wife, Janice, could have chosen any of those materials to replace lackluster kitchen countertops in their Lansingburgh, N.Y., home. But they chose concrete.
Known for its strength and durability, concrete has aesthetic qualities that remain highly underexplored, designers say. Homeowners are quick to use it outdoors to pave a driveway or to secure a fence post but less likely to use it inside to fashion countertops, sinks or even furniture. When it comes to building materials, concrete is the ugly duckling.
In her newish home, Janice Gibson inspects a green concrete ledge that replaced a white wood version in the pass-through between the kitchen and dining room. The new ledge matches concrete countertops previously designed and installed by Armstrong Stone, a Salem, N.Y.- based company specializing in custom decorative concrete.
“This is very nice. It matches the floors,” she says, tracing one of six tiles that borrow a peachy brown tone from the adjoining dining room. The tiles are embedded into the ledge’s surface.
Unlike her husband, who is familiar with concrete as a customizable building solution, Gibson just wanted a good- looking home. “We just wanted the counter to go with everything, and the other one didn’t.”
“(Concrete) doesn’t get the classy distinction that other high-end building materials get,” says Anthony Armstrong, owner of Armstrong Stone. “It clashes with ideas of what concrete should be. It’s not just sidewalks. People can’t understand that until they put their hands on it.”
Why concrete? One of the biggest reasons for using concrete over other materials is its flexibility, says Cail Johnstone, Armstrong’s designer. What begins as a gritty mass of slurry can be made into almost anything — any size, any shape, any color, any style. Its most impressive quality, its ability to form curves, gives it a leg up over more rigid materials.
Among all the ways decorative concrete is used — for sinks, tubs, furniture and slabbed projects like counters, tiles, fireplace surrounds, floors — countertops are probably the most popular, Johnstone says.
Concrete looks similar to natural stone or solid surface materials, but its design possibilities are limited only by the imagination. Concrete can be molded, sculpted and pressed into a form. It can be carved, filled, stamped, stenciled and embossed.
Before it hardens, items can be embedded within, such as decorative shells, beads or tiles or functional items like a trivet or drain board.
In addition, concrete can undergo most design processes that clay can with one large advantage — concrete hardens on its own; there’s no need for a kiln.
The first countertop Armstrong built was sweeping, red and inlaid with glass beads, sand dollars, pieces of a vase and a broken plate, each chosen for its sentimental value by family members. The countertop was installed in an 18th- century home.
Homeowners can be overwhelmed by the possibilities, and it’s not for everyone, says Johnstone.
Using concrete is different from walking into a building supply store and ordering something off the shelf, and may not suit homeowners who want uniformity and perfection, says Johnstone, but it can be appealing to those who desire a strong connection with their living space.
“Working with concrete means mixing function and art together — literally,” Johnstone says, which is why it draws unconventional craftsmen who are out-of-the-box thinkers.
Both Armstrong and Johnstone agree designing and building with concrete require more than knowledge of concrete or construction or design, which explains why Armstrong Stone is one of a handful of artisans in the Northeast outside of New York City using decorative concrete for purposes other than floors.
All of their projects start with a conversation. And it takes two to four weeks to build a countertop depending on the size, inlays and other custom elements.
