Counter proposal

Not that long ago, Kevin McGovern, owner of Mirage Studios in Valley Stream, specialized in installing faux finishes and decorative plaster.

 

But then an architect he'd worked with suggested that the coming thing just might be concrete countertops for kitchens - and, a mere five years later, McGovern says, concrete, including countertops, has grown into 60 percent of his business. "It's really taking off," he says.

 

But at first, people aren't sure what to think, he says. "The first impression everyone has is, they think you're going to come in there with a cheap sidewalk," he says.

 

They'd be wrong on two counts.

 

First of all, concrete kitchen countertops aren't cheap - they're a high-end product because they're hand-crafted, made to order. (They run about $80 to $125 or more a square foot, not including installation; granite can be cheaper, $65 to $125 a square foot, depending on the grade.) So, they're showing up in multimillion-dollar homes (and others not quite as pricey), from Manhattan to the East End.

 

Next, they're hardly like slabs of sidewalk transplanted to counters. They can be sleek, sophisticated - and even shiny.

 

And most definitely out of the ordinary.

 

Here's a primer on the whys and wherefores of concrete kitchen countertops - and a few cautions along the way:

 

THEY'RE DIFFERENT

 

If you've been house-hunting on Long Island recently, you might be getting a little bored with all those granite countertops you see. It almost seems like an unwritten law: If you want to sell your home, put in a granite kitchen.

 

That's one reason why Evan Kuhlman, broker and senior vice president of The Corcoran Group, who works out of the Bridgehampton office, put white matte concrete countertops in the new home he finished building in East Hampton four months ago. "It's cool and funky," he says. "Doing things differently is special, and it creates a certain look. Because I'm in the business, I see houses every day, and you need to differentiate yourself from everyone else."

 

Of course, concrete in kitchens doesn't appeal to everyone. When people put in concrete countertops, "I have the feeling [they're being] different for the sake of being different," says certified kitchen designer Michael Graziano, president of Aladdin Remodelers Inc. of Merrick, who prefers granite.

 

THEY'RE INDIVIDUAL

 

Do you like blue? Sea green? Purple?

 

Concrete countertops can be created in virtually any color, through pigments and stains. And they can be fabricated in any shape, since the forms are made by hand. They also can be customized in nearly endless ways. Cheng Concrete (concreteexchange.com), a California firm, has an interactive countertop design tool that lets you play not only with color and shape, but also with decorative stone inserts such as carnelian and moonstone.

 

Want your kids' handprints in there to serve as a soap dish? Want leaves from the backyard? An anniversary bottle of Dom P‚rignon? Or your key to the city? They can be added.

 

Natasha and Wrenroy Smith of Woodmere had Mirage Studios put concrete countertops in their kitchen last fall, and she says they've been very pleased. "It has different colors in it," she says. "It's a mixture of colors.

 

"I love it," she says. "Everyone loves it because it's unusual. It was made for us, so it's not going to be like what you see somewhere else."

 

THEY'RE PRACTICAL

 

Concrete countertops can be made with sinks, stainless steel trivets, drains and other features built right in. Natasha Smith, a nurse, says that Mirage installed a steel trivet right next to the cooktop, so "you can put a hot pot on it" without worrying about the countertop.

 

"It looks very natural," says Sarah Pesce of Amagansett, a marketing consultant who had the concrete countertops put in about 18 months ago in her house that's now on the market. "It's very easy to care for."

 

Kuhlman, who also had concrete in his last house, says "literally, you can spill red wine on it and it doesn't stain."

 

THEY'RE STYLISH

 

"My take is that it's really a 'look,'" says Jacqueline Steinberg, who represents the American Society of Interior Designers and owns Eve Mode Design in Los Angeles. "It's a very contemporary look, and you can really individualize it. It really has a lot of versatility in terms of design. I think people get a little tired of the same old stone and tile options."

 

Pesce says she likes the look, which updates the house. "It's a traditional Dutch Colonial style of house," she says. "We wanted it to have a touch of modernness."

 

THEY'RE 'GREEN'

 

Concrete countertops are made of sand, water and cement, and much of it can be recycled. And the items that individualize them, such as glass or decorative stones, can come from recycled materials as well.

 

Natural materials can have disadvantages, however. Steinberg says concrete can develop hairline cracks. "It can be small, but it's still noticeable," she says. "But you can put sealer on it. It has to be resealed pretty regularly."

 

But Steve Melnick, co-owner of Concrete Central in Huntington, says that, because of the way the cement is mixed, "we've never had a problem with cracking" - and adds the countertops don't need to be resealed. He says that, with high-tech sealers they use, they've experimented with leaving mustard, vinegar and red wine on the countertops for 24 hours, and these "usual culprits" don't stain.

 

But if someone wants a shiny patina or the counters get heavy use, Melnick recommends waxing with "food-grade beeswax" a few times a year.

 

Steinberg says that concrete appeals to people who not only have some tolerance for imperfections, but, in fact, like the look. Some concrete fabricators even put in "veins" to give the countertops more of an aged look.

 

"It changes ever so subtly as it ages," Melnick says. "It's a little more artistic and interesting." So, he adds, "either somebody's a concrete person or they're not."

 

KITCHENS WITH CONCRETE COUNTERTOPS

 

Where: Amagansett

 

Cost of concrete project: $10,000-$12,000

 

What was done: Countertops, island with built-in sink

 

Other: This 6-bedroom, 6.5 bath postmodern, 5,000-square-foot house built in 2001 is on the market for $4.675 million. Represented by Mala Sander, associate broker, The Corcoran Group, 917-902-7654.

 

Where: East Hampton

 

Cost of concrete project: $10,000-12,000

 

What was done: Matte concrete countertops, bi-level island

 

Contractors: Brothers William and Tom Orenzow, WSO Creative Concrete, Holtsville

 

Where: Woodmere

 

Cost of concrete project: About $8,500

 

What was done: Countertops, island, desktop