out with the OLD, in the the NEW

Ever since we bought our house, I have hated the kitchen countertops. The previous owners installed them to “update” the house, but they were terrible quality and stained easily. At the time, I told Andrew that they would do, but someday, I wanted something different. Every couple years, I would gently remind Andrew that I still hated the countertops and after talking it over, ‘we’ would decide that other home projects (like a large patio/basketball court) were more important. Eventually I gave up and resigned myself to living with ugly countertops. After all, we’ve been here for 11 years! Then last fall…out of the clear blue…Andrew asked me, “So, do you still want new countertops?” Well yeah!

Thus began the l o n g process of figuring out what I wanted and what fit the amount we were willing to pay. And I’m happy to say, that after many hours of researching, testing, getting quotes and praying, I have a countertop I LOVE.

Aren’t they gorgeous! :) I know, these pictures are so itty bitty, it’s hard to really see them. They are concrete, ground down to expose the aggregate and then polished to a smooth and glossy finish. Bob Salter and crew did a fantastic job of figuring out exactly what I wanted and making it happen. The next couple pics show them off better.

One of the things I love about concrete is all the ways you can make it uniquely yours. I have a small spot to the right of my stove that isn’t used much, so I had a trivet set into the concrete there to set hot pots onto while I’m cooking. I also had them cut out a space for a butcher block to the right of my sink. I knew I would use these features, but wow! I had no idea how much I would love them!

If only every household project turned out this well :).