If you're planning the kitchen for your new home, you've probably come across countless types of countertops. Have you considered a concrete benchtop? Concrete extremely customisable, providing a myriad of choice in colour, texture and shape.

Benchtop Colours

When choosing any new countertop, you need to able to harmonise it with your room colour scheme. A concrete countertop can be coloured any hue you can imagine: ranging from earthy soft browns and greens to brilliant reds and blues, not to mention bright whites and deep blacks. Different colouring methods include applying integral pigments, acid stains and dyes. Integral pigments are added when the concrete is mixed, so the colour flows throughout.

Both acid stains and dyes are applied to the concrete surface after it is set and dried. Dyes can be applied multiple times, and also over an integral pigmented or previously stained or dyed surfaces providing multi-layered nuanced effects. Of course, you may love the industrial aspect of more familiar looking concrete and keep colourations to a minimum. 

Benchtop Textures

However, concrete benchtops are not only for industrial style kitchens. A concrete countertop can be crafted to mimic natural stone or timber surfaces by casting the concrete in specially textured moulds. Special additives in the concrete mix help to create the organic effect by replicating the veining of natural granite or marble.

Different aggregates, such as crushed quartz or granite, seashells, glass pieces or other materials, can also be added to the mix to create organic patterned surfaces over the countertop surface. The benchtop can then be polished to a matte or glossy surface, exposing the aggregates. Finer grinding pads produce mirror-like finishes. 

Shape

A concrete benchtop is usually cast using a prefabricated mould of the specific area, including cutouts for sinks and taps so the bench can be custom fit to your particular kitchen. Another customisation option is for the edges of the countertop; any specific detailing is included in the mould. These can include rope edges, traditional ornately turned, carved sides, vines, bullnose or square corners.

A concrete countertop is hugely customisable. You can create yours to mimic natural timber or stone textures, add aggregates such as glass and seashells to create a textured work of art. The massive range of colours available means that you will be able to coordinate your benchtop with virtually any kitchen colour scheme imaginable. A custom home builder should be able to further advice on kitchen countertops.

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